Vending-kiosk based systems and methods to vend and/or prepare items, for instance prepared foods

ABSTRACT

Kiosks, components, and methods are disclosed for preparing food to be vended to customers. The kiosk may be part of a multi-modal food distribution system in which the kiosk may operate in one or more various modes, including a kiosk vending mode, a constellation mode, and a cook en route mode to vend hot, prepared food to customers. The kiosks in the system may be configurable to change between each of the different modes depending upon information received by the system. The kiosk may be part of a kiosk-based food preparation system in which the kiosk vends prepared food items to customers. The kiosk may transmit information that may be used to provide replenishment to the kiosk. Such information may include the number of items vended, the number of items and/or supplies remaining, and/or a replenishment signal.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This description generally relates to food cooking, delivery,distribution and/or vending, for instance using a food distributionsystem employing one or more vending kiosks. In some implementations thevending kiosks can selectively operate in one of two or more modes ofoperation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Historically, consumers have had a choice when hot, prepared, food wasdesired. Some consumers would travel to a restaurant or other foodestablishment where such food would be prepared and consumed on thepremises. Other consumers would travel to the restaurant or other foodestablishment, purchase hot, prepared, food and transport the food to anoff-premises location, such as a home or picnic location forconsumption. Yet other consumers ordered delivery of hot, prepared food,for consumption at home. Over time, the availability of delivery of hot,prepared, foods has increased and now plays a significant role in themarketplace. Delivery of such hot, prepared, foods was once consideredthe near exclusive purview of Chinese take-out and pizza parlors.However, today even convenience stores and “fast-food” purveyors such asfranchised hamburger restaurants have taken to testing the deliverymarketplace.

The delivery of prepared foods traditionally occurs in several discreteacts. First, a consumer places an order for a particular food item witha restaurant or similar food establishment. The restaurant or foodestablishment prepares the food item or food product per the customerorder. The prepared food item is packaged and delivered to theconsumer's location. The inherent challenges in such a delivery methodare numerous. In addition to the inevitable cooling that occurs whilethe hot food item is transported to the consumer, many foods mayexperience a commensurate breakdown in taste, texture, or consistencywith the passage of time. For example, the French fries at the burgerrestaurant may be hot and crispy, but the same French fries will becold, soggy, and limp by the time they make it home. To address suchissues, some food suppliers make use of “hot bags,” “thermal packaging,”or similar insulated packaging, carriers, and/or food containers toretain at least a portion of the existing heat in the prepared foodwhile in transit to the consumer. While such measures may be at leastsomewhat effective in retaining heat in the food during transit, suchmeasures do little, if anything, to address issues with changes in foodtaste, texture, or consistency associated with the delay between thetime the food item is prepared and the time the food item is actuallyconsumed.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Kiosks may be used to vend hot, prepared food items to customers. Insome implementations, kiosks may be used to prepare and vend hot,prepared food items to customers. In some implementations, a kiosk mayvend items to multiple customers while remaining stationary in alocation when the kiosk is operating in a kiosk vending mode. As such,customers may travel to the location of the kiosk to retrieve food itemsthat the customer has ordered. In some implementations, a kiosk mayfulfill orders placed by customers by providing hot-prepared items todelivery vehicles to be delivered to the appropriate customer at adelivery destination. In some implementations, the kiosk may beself-propelled and may autonomously and/or semi-autonomously travel toone or more delivery destinations to deliver hot, prepared food itemsthat have been ordered by customers.

A method of operation of a multi-modal food preparation system may besummarized as including: in a kiosk vending mode: transmittinginstructions to at least one kiosk that includes a number of foodpreparation units, the instructions which cause the at least one kioskto accept orders for instances of food items and to vend the instancesof food items directly to a customer to act as a combined cooking andvending kiosk; and in a constellation mode: transmitting information tothe at least one kiosk to act as a hub, including information thatspecifies a plurality of orders for instances of food items to beprepared; and transmitting information to a number of vehicles to act asdelivery vehicles, including routing information that routes theadditional vehicles between the at least one kiosk that acts as the huband a plurality of delivery destinations associated with respective onesof the orders.

The method of operation may further include: transmitting informationthat causes the at least one kiosk to switch between the kiosk vendingmode and the constellation mode. The method of operation may furtherinclude: in a cook en route mode: transmitting information to the atleast one kiosk which transports a number of food preparation units toact as a combined cooking and delivery kiosk, the information includinginformation that specifies a plurality of orders for instances of fooditems to be prepared including commands to control respective ones ofthe food preparation units for each of the instances of food items to beprepared, and the information further including destination informationthat specifies a destination to deliver the orders.

A method of operation in a kiosk-based food vending system may besummarized as including: for each of a number of vending kiosks inrespective locations, each of the vending kiosks having one or moreheating elements selectively operable to at least one of warm or cookone or more instances of one or more types of food items: at least oneof raising or maintaining a temperature of one or more instances of oneor more types of food items; repeatedly vending one or more instances ofone or more types of food items; transmitting information representativeof at least one of: i) one or more instances of one or more types offood items that have been vended food items or ii) supplies of instancesof one or more types of food items available at the respective kiosk, oriii) a need for replenishment; and receiving replenishment from avehicle based at least on part on the transmitted information.

The method of operation may further include: dispatching the vehicle toreplenish the at least one vending kiosk based at least on part on thetransmitted information. The method of operation may further include:dispatching the vehicle to replenish the at least one vending kioskbased at least on part on pending orders of food items at the at leastone vending kiosk. The method of operation may further include:predicting an expected demand for instances of one or more types of fooditems; and dispatching the vehicle to replenish the at least one vendingkiosk based at least on part on the predicted expected demand forinstances of one or more types of food items. Predicting an expecteddemand for instances of one or more types of food items may includetraining at least one neural network with at least one set of trainingdata that represents an actual demand for instances of one or more typesof food items previously experienced at one or more locations. The atleast one set of training data may include training data related to atleast one of respective days of the week, special events, time of day,weather, and holidays. The method of operation may further include:determining an estimate time required to replenish at least one of thekiosks; determining an estimate time before the kiosk exhausts a supplyof one or more instances of one or more types of food items; determininga time at which to dispatch the vehicle based on the estimate times suchthat there is sufficient time to replenish the at least one vendingkiosk before the supply of one or more instances of one or more types offood items is exhausted; and dispatching the vehicle to replenish the atleast one vending kiosk based on the determined time at which todispatch the vehicle. The method of operation may further include: theone or more vending kiosks receiving from a remote order processingsystem one or more orders for one or more instances of one or more typesof food items. The one or more vending kiosks may each have a respectivepoint-of-sale system, and may further include: receiving one or moreorders for one or more instances of one or more types of food items viathe respective point-of-sale system of the kiosk. The one or morevending kiosks may each have a respective wireless communicationssystem, and may further include: receiving directly from a customerprocessor-based communications device one or more orders for one or moreinstances of one or more types of food items via the respective wirelesscommunication system of the one or more vending kiosks. At least one ofraising or maintaining a temperature of one or more instances of one ormore types of food items may be based at least on part on one or more ofthe received orders. The method may further include: determining areplenishment route to each of the number of vending kiosks to replenishfood items; and dispatching the vehicle to replenish the at least onevending kiosk based on the determined replenishment route. The number ofvending kiosks may include one or more self-propelled vending kiosks,and the method may further include: determining a respective route foreach of the one or more self-propelled vending kiosks to travel to therespective destinations; and transmitting instructions to each of theone or more self-propelled vending kiosks to travel to the respectivedestinations.

A method of operation in a kiosk-based food vending system may besummarized as including: for at least one vending kiosk in a respectivelocation, the at least one vending kiosk having one or more heatingelements selectively operable to at least one of warm or cook one ormore instances of one or more types of food items: at least one ofraising or maintaining a temperature of one or more instances of one ormore types of food items; repeatedly dispensing one or more instances ofone or more types of food items to one of one or more delivery vehicles;transmitting information representative of at least one of: i) one ormore instances of one or more types of food items that have been vendedfood items or ii) supplies of instances of one or more types of fooditems available at the respective kiosk, or iii) a need forreplenishment; and receiving replenishment from a replenishment vehiclebased at least in part on the transmitted information.

The method of operation may further include: dispatching thereplenishment vehicle to replenish the at least one vending kiosk basedat least on part on the transmitted information. The method of operationmay further include: predicting an expected demand for instances of oneor more types of food items; and dispatching the replenishment vehicleto replenish the at least one vending kiosk based at least on part onthe predicted expected demand for instances of one or more types of fooditems. Predicting an expected demand for instances of one or more typesof food items may include training at least one neural network with atleast one set of training data that represents an actual demand forinstances of one or more types of food items previously experienced atone or more locations. The at least one set of training data may includetraining data related to at least one of special events, respective daysof the week, time of day, weather, and holidays. The method of operationmay further include: determining an estimate time required to replenishat least one of the kiosks; determining an estimate time before thekiosk exhausts a supply of one or more instances of one or more types offood items; determining a time at which to dispatch the replenishmentvehicle based on the estimate times such that there is sufficient timeto replenish the at least one vending kiosk before the supply of one ormore instances of one or more types of food items is exhausted; anddispatching the replenishment vehicle to replenish the at least onevending kiosk based on the determined time at which to dispatch thevehicle. The method of operation may further include: the one or morevending kiosks receiving from a remote order processing system one ormore orders for one or more instances of one or more types of fooditems. The one or more vending kiosks may each have a respectivepoint-of-sale system, and the method may further include: receiving oneor more orders for one or more instances of one or more types of fooditems via the respective point-of-sale system of the kiosk; anddispensing one or more one or more instances of one or more types offood items directly to one or more customers. The one or more vendingkiosks may each have a respective wireless communications system, andthe method may further include: receiving directly from a customerprocessor-based communications device one or more orders for one or moreinstances of one or more types of food items via the respective wirelesscommunication system of the one or more vending kiosks; and dispensingone or more one or more instances of one or more types of food itemsdirectly to one or more customers. At least one of raising ormaintaining a temperature of one or more instances of one or more typesof food items may be based at least on part on one or more of thereceived orders. The method of operation may further include:dispatching the one of one or more delivery vehicles to the at least onevending kiosk based at least in part on one or more of readiness of anorder to be delivered by the delivery vehicle, of an estimated traveltime from the at least one vending kiosk to a destination on a singledestination delivery route, the destination associated with the order tobe delivered, of an estimated travel time from the at least one vendingkiosk to a destination on a multiple destination delivery route, thedestination associated with the order to be delivered, and of a deliverytime period, the delivery time period which provides a threshold time bywhich delivery of the order is to be completed.

A method of operation of a multi-modal food preparation system in akiosk mode may be summarized as including: distributing food items at avending kiosk based upon orders received at the vending kiosk and uponorders received at a remote order processing system removed from thevending kiosk, in which the vending kiosk is positioned at a destinationand remains stationary at the destination while distributing the fooditems; transmitting information to a remote replenishment processingsystem, the transmitted information including vending informationrelated to the food items distributed by the vending kiosk over adefined period of time, the vending kiosk responsive to distribute thefood items based upon orders received at the vending kiosk and uponorders received at a facility removed from the vending kiosk; andreceiving additional food items at the vending kiosk, the additionalfood items to be distributed by the vending kiosk.

The kiosk may be a self-propelled vending kiosk, and the method mayfurther include: receiving instructions regarding a route for theself-propelled vending kiosk to travel to the vending destination; andtraversing the route to the vending destination. Receiving theadditional food items may include receiving instructions to travel to areplenishment location, the replenishment location different from thevending location.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify similar elementsor acts. The sizes and relative positions of elements in the drawingsare not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of variouselements and angles are not drawn to scale, and some of these elementsare arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility.Further, the particular shapes of the elements as drawn, are notintended to convey any information regarding the actual shape of theparticular elements, and have been solely selected for ease ofrecognition in the drawings.

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a multi-modal food preparation systemoperating in a kiosk vending mode in which a kiosk serves as a cookingand vending kiosk, and provides instances of food items to customers whohave submitted orders, according to at least one illustratedimplementation.

FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of a multi-modal food preparation systemoperating in a constellation mode in which the kiosk serves as a hub andprovides instances of food items to one or more delivery vehicles fordelivery to one or more customers, according to at least one illustratedimplementation.

FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram of a multi-modal food preparation systemoperating in a cook en route mode in which the kiosk cooks and deliversone or more instances of food items to respective customers who havesubmitted orders, according to at least one illustrated implementation.

FIG. 2 is schematic diagram of a multi-modal food preparation systemthat includes a vending kiosk, a purchasing kiosk, and a mobile device,according to one illustrated implementation.

FIG. 3A is front, top, right isometric view of a kiosk that includeswheels or optional treads, and may operate in any of a kiosk vendingmode, a constellation mode, and a cook en route mode, according to atleast one illustrated implementation.

FIG. 3B is a bottom plan view of the kiosk of FIG. 3A, according to atleast one illustrated implementation.

FIG. 4A front, top, right isometric view of an interior of a foodpreparation unit in a vending kiosk, according to at least oneillustrated implementation.

FIG. 4B is a front, top, left isometric view of the interior of the foodpreparation unit in the vending kiosk shown in FIG. 4A, according to atleast one illustrated implementation.

FIG. 5 is a logic flow diagram of a method of operation of a multi-modalfood preparation system in a kiosk vending mode, according to oneillustrated implementation.

FIG. 6 is a logic flow diagram of a method of operation of a multi-modalfood preparation system in a constellation mode, according to oneillustrated implementation.

FIG. 7 is a logic flow diagram of a method of operation of a multi-modalfood preparation system in a cook en route mode, according to at leastone illustrated implementation.

FIG. 8 is a logic flow diagram of a method of operation of a multi-modalfood preparation system in which a kiosk prepares and/or vends instancesof food items and is replenished with one or more supplies, according toat least one illustrated implementation.

FIG. 9 is a logic flow diagram of a method of operation of a multi-modalfood preparation system in which a kiosk is replenished with one or moresupplies, according to at least one illustrated implementation.

FIG. 10 is a logic flow diagram of a method of operation of amulti-modal food preparation system in which instructions aretransmitted to a vehicle to replenish a vending kiosk, according to atleast one illustrated implementation.

FIG. 11 is a logic flow diagram of a method of operation of amulti-modal food preparation system in which instructions aretransmitted to a vending kiosk to travel to a replenishment location,according to at least one illustrated implementation.

FIG. 12 is a schematic block diagram of a control system, according toat least one illustrated implementation.

FIG. 13A is a front, top, right isometric view of a vending kioskaccording to at least one illustrated embodiment, which includes aplurality of vending compartments, one or more cooking units, and arefrigerated supply area.

FIG. 13B is a rear, top, right isometric view of the vending kiosk ofFIG. 13, better illustrating the refrigerated supply area and inputtransport elevators, as well as an optional supply rack which can beremovably docked in the refrigerated supply area.

FIG. 13C is a cross-sectional view of the vending kiosk of FIG. 13,better illustrating the one or more cooking units (e.g., ovens), inputtransport elevators, and output input transport elevators.

FIG. 14 is a front elevational view of a set or gang of cooking units inthe form of ovens according to at least one illustrated implementation,the ovens suitable for use in the vending kiosk of FIGS. 13A-13C.

FIG. 15 is a front, top, left isometric view of a cooking unit in theform of an oven and a transmission, where the oven is translatable alongtwo different axes according to at least one illustrated implementation,the ovens suitable for use in the vending kiosk of FIGS. 13A-13C.

FIG. 16A-16D are a front, top, left isometric view of a vendingcompartment at four successive periods of time or instances, accordingto at least one illustrated implementation.

FIG. 17 is a front, top, left isometric view of a vertical transmissionand a horizontal transmission, operable to move components of a vendingcompartment along at least two axes, for instance at four successiveperiods of time or instances illustrated in FIGS. 16A-16D, according toat least one illustrated implementation.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the vending kiosk employing thevending compartments illustrated in FIGS. 16A-16D, and betterillustrating the cooking units (e.g., ovens), input transport elevators,and output input transport elevators, according to at least oneillustrated implementation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, certain specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosedembodiments. However, one skilled in the relevant art will recognizethat embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specificdetails, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In otherinstances, certain structures associated with food preparation devicesor appliances such as ovens, skillets, stoves with burners, inductiveheaters, micro-wave ovens, rice cookers, and, or sous vide cookers, andother similar devices, closed-loop controllers used to control cookingconditions, food preparation techniques, wired and wirelesscommunications protocols, wired and wireless transceivers, radios,communications ports, geolocation, and optimized route mappingalgorithms have not been shown or described in detail to avoidunnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments. In otherinstances, certain structures associated with conveyors, robots, and/orvehicles have not been shown or described in detail to avoidunnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments.

Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification andclaims which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, suchas, “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open,inclusive sense, that is as “including, but not limited to.”

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristicdescribed in connection with the embodiment is included in at least oneembodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or“in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification arenot necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, theparticular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined inany suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singularforms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the contentclearly dictates otherwise. It should also be noted that the term “or”is generally employed in its sense including “and/or” unless the contentclearly dictates otherwise.

The headings and Abstract of the Disclosure provided herein are forconvenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of theembodiments.

As used herein the terms “food item” and “food product” refer to anyitem or product intended for human consumption. One of ordinary skill inthe culinary arts and food preparation will readily appreciate the broadapplicability of the systems, methods, and apparatuses described hereinacross any number of prepared food items or products, including cookedand uncooked food items or products, and ingredients or components offood items and products.

As used herein the terms “robot” or “robotic” refer to any device,system, or combination of systems and devices that includes at least oneappendage, typically with an end of arm tool or end effector, where theat least one appendage is selectively moveable to perform work or anoperation useful in the preparation a food item or packaging of a fooditem or food product. The robot may be autonomously controlled, forinstance based at least in part on information from one or more sensors(e.g., optical sensors used with machine-vision algorithms, positionencoders, temperature sensors, moisture or humidity sensors).Alternatively, one or more robots can be remotely controlled by a humanoperator. Alternatively, one or more robots can be partially remotelycontrolled by a human operator and partially autonomously controlled.

As used herein the term “food preparation unit” refers to any device,system, or combination of systems and devices useful in preparing,cooking or heating a food product, such as, for example, cooking units.While such preparation may include the heating of food products duringpreparation, such preparation may also include the partial or completecooking of one or more food products. Additionally, while the term“oven” may be used interchangeably with the term “cooking unit” herein,such usage should not limit the applicability of the systems and methodsdescribed herein to only foods which can be prepared in an oven. Forexample, one or more burners, either gas or electric or inductive, a hotskillet surface or griddle, a deep fryer, a microwave oven, rice cooker,sous vide cooker, and/or toaster can be considered a “cooking unit” thatis included within the scope of the systems, methods, and apparatusesdescribed herein. Food preparation units may include other types ofequipment used to prepare food items, such as equipment related tocooled or chilled foods, such as may be used to prepare smoothies,frozen yogurt, ice cream, and beverages (e.g., fountain beverages).Further, the food preparation unit may be able to control more thantemperature. For example, some food preparation units may controlpressure and/or humidity. Further, some food preparation units maycontrol airflow therein, thus able to operate in a convective cookingmode if desired, for instance to decrease cooking time.

As used herein the term “kiosk” refers to any standalone structure fromwhich items can be vended. A kiosk may be a manned or attended kiosk,which is attended to, or at least partially operated by a human or humanattendant. For instance, one or more humans may accept orders, prepareorders, and, or provide the ordered item to a customer. A kiosk may bean un-manned kiosk, which is operated without the assistance of a human.For instance, the un-manned kiosk may operate autonomously to acceptorders, prepare orders, and, or provide (e.g., dispense) the ordereditem to a customer. Thus, kiosks may be operable in a fully autonomousmode, a partially autonomous mode, or in a dependent mode. A kiosk canbe fixed, substantially permanently located at a given location. A kioskcan be mobile, moving from location to location. A mobile kiosk can takethe form of a vehicle, for example with a self-contained motive source(e.g., electric traction motor, internal combustion engine) and wheelsor treads. A mobile kiosk can include a set of wheels, and be pushed orpulled by a human, e.g., a human attendant. A mobile kiosk can be driveneither autonomously, partially autonomously under guidance of a human,or driven or otherwise moved completely under human control, e.g., via ahuman attendant. A kiosk can have one or more vending slots or openingsfrom which product is dispensed. The slots or openings may omit any dooror barrier. A kiosk take the form of a locker or set of lockers, havingone or more compartments with respective openings and with doors orother barriers which selectively provide access to the interior ofcompartments from an exterior thereof, to allow customers to accessordered and, or purchased items.

As used herein the term “vehicle” refers to any car, truck, van, orother vehicle useful in cooking and heating a food item for distributionto a customer. The size and shape of the vehicle may depend in part onlicensing requirements of the locality in which the vehicle is intendedto operate. In some instances, the size and shape of the vehicle maydepend on the street layout and the surrounding environment of thelocality in which the vehicle is intended to operate. For example,small, tight city streets may require a vehicle that is comparativelyshorter and/or narrower than a vehicle that can safely and convenientlynavigate larger, suburban thoroughfares.

FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 10 show various modes of a multi-modal foodpreparation system 100, including a kiosk vending mode 110, aconstellation mode 120, and a cook en route mode 130, according to atleast one illustrated implementation. In a kiosk vending mode 110 (seeFIG. 1A), a kiosk 102 may include one or more food preparation units 104that may each be used to prepare and/or vend one or more instances offood items 106 as a combined cooking and vending vehicle 102 a. In someimplementations, the food preparation unit 104 may include one or moreheaters that may be used to selectively heat the food preparation unit104. Such a heater may be used to cook or to maintain the warmth of thefood item 106 contained or stored within the food preparation unit 104.

In such a kiosk vending mode 110, the kiosk 102 may receive one or moreorders for food items. In some implementations, such orders may bereceived from a wireless communication network, for example, via awireless communication system 108. In some implementations, the kiosk102 may receive orders transmitted from one or more customerprocessor-based communications devices 112 (e.g., a smart phone 112 a ora tablet 112 b) directly to the kiosk 102. In some implementations, thekiosk 102 may receive orders entered into a point-of-sale system 113that may be incorporated into or communicatively coupled to the kiosk102. In some implementations, a remote order processing unit 114 mayreceive orders for instances of food items from one or more consumersand transmit such orders via the wireless communications network (e.g.,wireless communications network 116) to the kiosk 102 via the wirelesscommunication system 108.

In response to receiving each order, the kiosk 102 may selectively warmor heat one or more of the food preparation units 104 via the associatedheaters. The warming of one of the food preparation units 104 may beused to maintain a temperature of an instance of a food item 106 heldwithin the food preparation unit 104. The heating of one of the foodpreparation units 104 may be used to cook an instance of a food item 106held within the food preparation unit 104. In such instances, after theinstance of the food item 106 is cooked, the associated food preparationunit 104 may change selectively warm the cooked food item 106 tomaintain the temperature of the cooked food item 106 unit is retrievedby a consumer.

When operating in the kiosk vending mode 110, the kiosk 102 may remainstationary at a vending location 118 to vend one or more instances offood items to customers. As such, each of the consumers who have placedan order for an instance of a food item 106 may travel to the vendinglocation 118 to retrieve the instance of the food item 106 that theconsumer has ordered. In some instances, the consumer may access theappropriate food preparation unit 104 upon arriving at the vendinglocation 118 by, for example, entering an order and/or identificationcode into a user interface that may be incorporated into the kiosk 102.In some instances, the consumer may access the appropriate foodpreparation unit 104 upon arriving at the vending location 118, forexample, by entering an order and/or identification code into a userinterface that may be accessible via the mobile device (e.g., thesmartphone 112 a) associated with the consumer. In some instances, thekiosk 102 may detect the presence of a device (e.g., the smartphone 112a) associated with the consumer at the vending location 118 and provideaccess to the appropriate food preparation unit 104 in response.

In some implementations, the consumer may be traveling to the vendinglocation 118 from a remote location, such as remote location 122. Insuch an implementation, the kiosk 102 may be provided with an estimatedtravel time from the remote location 122 to the vending location 118.Such an estimated travel time may be determined by the kiosk 102 and/ormay be provided by a remote server such as the remote order processingunit 114 or a third-party server. As such, the kiosk 102 may selectivelyheat the food preparation unit 104 associated with the order from theconsumer such that the food item will be fully cooked at or just beforethe estimated time that the consumer will be arriving to retrieve theorder.

In some implementations, the kiosk 102 may be replenished with supplies,such as cooked and/or uncooked food items 106, or supplies forpreparing, making, and/or assembling food items 106. In someimplementations, a vehicle 124 may hold one or more supplies that may beused to replenish the kiosk 102. In such implementations, the vehicle124 may receive instructions to travel to the vending location 118 inorder to replenish one or more supplies for the kiosk 102. Suchinstructions may include, for example, the type of supplies to bereplenished, the amount of each supply to be replenished, and a routethat the vehicle 124 should take. In some implementations, theinstructions may be transmitted to the vehicle 124 from one or moresources, such as, for example, a replenishment server 126, or some otherremote server, via a wireless communications network 116. Thereplenishment server 126 may be communicatively coupled to either orboth of the vehicle 124 and the kiosk 102. In response to receiving suchinstructions, the vehicle 124 may proceed along a replenishment route132 as indicated by the instructions to replenish the kiosk 102 with oneor more supplies and/or instances of food items. In someimplementations, the replenishment route 132 may be determined by thereplenishment server 126 and/or by a third-party server, and transmittedto the vehicle 124.

In some implementations, the kiosk 102 may be a self-propelled kioskthat may travel to a replenishment location 144 to be replenished, or tonew locations to vend. The kiosk 102 may move completely autonomously,based on a desired destination and information about the surroundingenvironment. Alternatively, the kiosk 102 may move semi-autonomously,based on a desired destination and some guidance by a human, eitherpresent at the kiosk or located remotely therefrom and monitoring thetravels of the kiosk 102. Alternatively, the kiosk 102 may movenon-autonomously or dependent on a human, who may push and, or pull thekiosk to the desired destination.

A building (e.g., a warehouse) or a vehicle (e.g., a delivery vehicle)may be at the replenishment location 144 and may hold one or moresupplies that may be used to replenish the kiosk 102. In suchimplementations, the kiosk 102 may receive instructions to travel to thereplenishment location 144 in order to have one or more supplies for thekiosk 102 replenished. Such instructions may include, for example, thetype of supplies to be replenished, the amount of each supply to bereplenished, and a route that the kiosk 102 should take. In someimplementations, the instructions may be transmitted to the kiosk 102from one or more sources, such as, for example, the replenishment server126, or some other remote server, via a wireless communications network116. The replenishment server 126 may be communicatively coupled toeither or both of the kiosk 102, and the building and/or vehicle at thereplenishment location 144. In response to receiving such instructions,the kiosk 102 may be dispatched to traverse the route to thereplenishment location 144.

In some implementations, the replenishment server 126 may transmit theinstructions to replenish the kiosk 102 based upon one or more factors,such as, for example, the amount of supplies (e.g., instances of fooditems 106) currently available at the kiosk 102, the number of instancesof food items 106 the kiosk has vended, the rate at which the kiosk 102is using the supplies and/or vending instances of food items 106, therate at which the kiosk 102 is expected to use the supplies in thefuture, pending orders to be fulfilled by the kiosk 102, and/or a signalreceived from the kiosk 102 indicating a need for replenishment of oneor more supplies. In some instances, in response to receiving suchinstructions, the vehicle 124 may be dispatched to the vending location118 to replenish the kiosk 102. Once the vehicle 124 reaches the vendinglocation 118, the kiosk 102 may receive replenishment from the vehicle124 based at least in part of the information received by thereplenishment server 126. In some instances, in response to receivingsuch instructions, the kiosk 102 may be dispatched to the replenishmentlocation 144 to receive replenishment at the replenishment location 144.

In some implementations, the replenishment server 126 may include aneural network 128 or other learning machine that may be used todetermine when to transmit instructions to replenish the kiosk 102. Sucha neural network 128 may receive one or more of the information listedabove as inputs to determine a time at which the kiosk 102 may exhaustone or more of the supplies. In some implementations, the neural network128 may use training data in making such a determination. Such trainingdata may represent actual demand for instances of the food item 106 fromthe kiosk 102 that may have been experienced at previous times at thesame or similar locations. As such, the neural network 128 may be ableto take into account information regarding the sales of instances offood items 106 during specific days of the week, at a specific timeand/or time range, during a special event, date, or holiday, and/orduring one or more types of weather. The neural network 128 may use thistraining data to predict the demand for the instances of food items 106in the future. The determined expected demand may be used to determinewhen to transmit the instructions to the vehicle 124 to replenish thekiosk 102.

In some implementations, the replenishment server 126 may take otherconsiderations into account to determine when to transmit instructionsand/or information to the vehicle 124 to replenish the kiosk 102. Insome implementations, for example, the replenishment server 126 maydetermine an estimated time to complete replenishing one or moresupplies at the kiosk 102. Such a determination of an estimated time toreplenish may be based, at least in part, on the time to transfer theone or supplies and/or the instances of food items 106 from the vehicle124 to the kiosk 102, and/or on the amount of time for the vehicle 124to travel to the vending location 118. In some implementations, thereplenishment server 126 may determine the amount of time before thekiosk 102 the supplies and/or instances of food items 106. As such, thereplenishment server 126 may transmit instructions to the vehicle 124 toreplenish the kiosk 102 such that the replenishment is complete beforethe estimated time by which the kiosk 102 will exhaust one or more ofthe supplies and/or instances of food items 106.

In some implementations, the replenishment server 126 may determinetimes at which the kiosk 102 may have slack demand for vending instancesof food items 106 to customers. As such, the replenishment server 126may transmit instructions to the vehicle 124 to replenish the kiosk 102with one or more supplies and/or instances of food items 106 during aperiod of slack demand to minimize the inconvenience to consumers.

In the constellation mode 120 (see FIG. 1B), the kiosk 102 may be at alocation 134, operating as a hub 136, in which the kiosk 102 preparesone or more food items 106 that are to be delivered to customers in ageographic area 138 surrounding the location 134. Such preparation mayinclude, for example, heating the one or more food items in therespective food preparation unit 104. In some implementations, the foodpreparation unit 104 may warm the one or food items once the one or morefood items are prepared to maintain the temperature of the one or moreprepared food items at a desired temperature. As each food item isprepared and each order is complete, separate vehicles serve as deliveryvehicles 140 and may be used to deliver the prepared food item to anappropriate delivery destination 142. Optionally, these separatedelivery vehicles 140 may cook or complete cooking of food items, whileen route to a destination. Such separate delivery vehicles 140 mayinclude, for example, ground or flying drones 140 a, 140 b or otherautomated vehicles, a bicycle 140 c, or a motorized vehicle 140 d. Insome implementations, the constellation mode 120 may serve a geographicarea 138 that is about 2-3 miles in width or radius.

In some implementations, instructions may be transmitted to the one ormore delivery vehicles 140 to retrieve one more food items from thekiosk 102 operating as a hub 115. In some implementations, the deliveryvehicle 140 may receive instructions that result in the delivery vehicle140 being dispatched to the kiosk 102 operating as a hub 115. Thedelivery vehicle 140 may be dispatched to the kiosk 102 operating as ahub 115 based, for example, at least in part on one or more of readinessof an order to be delivered by the delivery vehicle 140, of an estimatedtravel time from the kiosk 102 operating as a hub 115 to a deliverydestination 142 using a single destination delivery route, of anestimated travel time from the kiosk 102 operating as a hub 115 to adelivery destination 142 located on a multiple destination deliveryroute, and of a delivery time period for delivering an order to anassociated delivery destination 142, in which the delivery time periodmay provide a threshold time by which delivery of the order is to becompleted. In some implementations, the instructions transmitted to thedelivery vehicle 140 may include, for example, destination informationfor the delivery destinations 142 associated with each of the respectiveorders of food items to be delivered. In some implementations, theinstructions transmitted to the delivery vehicle 140 may include routeinformation to the location 134 of the kiosk 102 operating as a hub 115,and/or route information from the kiosk 102 operating as a hub 115 tothe delivery destination 142 associated with an order for an instance ofa food item.

In some implementations, the orders for one or more food items may bereceived from a wireless communication network, for example, via thewireless communication system 108. In some implementations, the kiosk102 operating as the hub 136 may receive orders transmitted from one ormore customer processor-based communications devices (not shown)directly to the kiosk 102. In some implementations, the remote orderprocessing unit 114 may receive orders for instances of food items fromone or more consumers and transmit such orders via the wirelesscommunications network (e.g., wireless communications network 116) tothe kiosk 102 operating as the hub 136 via the wireless communicationsystem 108. In some implementations, the received orders for instancesof food items may be transmitted from the remote order processing unit114 to the kiosk 102 operating as the hub 136. In some implementations,the remote order processing unit 114 may transmit one or more ofdelivering destinations, associated orders for food items, and/or routeinformation from the location 134 to one or more of the kiosk 102operating as the hub 136, and/or one or more of the delivery vehicles140.

In some implementations, the kiosk 102 operating as the hub 136 may bereplenished with one more supplies and/or food items when operating inthe constellation mode 120, as discussed above in the kiosk vending mode110. In some implementations, the vehicle 124 may hold one or moresupplies that may be used to replenish the kiosk 102 operating as thehub 136. In such implementations, the vehicle 124 may receiveinstructions to travel to the location 134 in order to replenish one ormore supplies for the kiosk 102 operating as the hub 136. In response toreceiving such instructions, the vehicle 124 may proceed along a firstreplenishment route 132 a as indicated by the instructions to replenishthe kiosk 102 operating as the hub 136 with one or more supplies and/orinstances of food items. In some implementations, the replenishmentroute 132 may be determined by the replenishment server 126 and/or by athird-party server, and transmitted to the vehicle 124.

In some implementations, the kiosk 102 may be a self-propelled kioskthat may travel to a replenishment location 144, either autonomously,semi-autonomously, or non-autonomously as noted above. A building (e.g.,a warehouse) or a vehicle (e.g., a delivery vehicle) may be at thereplenishment location 144 and may hold one or more supplies that may beused to replenish the kiosk 102. In such implementations, the kiosk 102may receive instructions to travel to the replenishment location 144 inorder to have one or more supplies for the kiosk 102 replenished. Suchinstructions may include, for example, the type of supplies to bereplenished, the amount of each supply to be replenished, and a routethat the kiosk 102 should take. In response to receiving suchinstructions, the kiosk 102 may proceed along a second replenishmentroute 132 b as indicated by the instructions to travel to thereplenishment location 144. In some implementations, the secondreplenishment route 132 b may be determined by the replenishment server126 and/or by a third-party server, and transmitted to the kiosk 102.

In some implementations, the replenishment server 126 may transmit theinstructions to the vehicle 124 to replenish the kiosk 102 based uponone or more factors, as discussed above. In some implementations, thereplenishment server 126 may include a neural network 128 or otherlearning machine that may be used to determine when to transmitinstructions to replenish the kiosk 102 operating as the hub, asdiscussed above. In some implementations, the replenishment server 126may take other considerations into account to determine when to transmitinstructions and/or information to the kiosk 102 operating as the hub136.

In a cook en route mode 130, the kiosk 102 may prepare and cook fooditems for delivery as the kiosk 102 travels between different deliverydestinations 142. In such a mode, the kiosk 102 may serve as a cookingand delivery vehicle. The order of cooking and delivering the food itemsmay be modifiable based on various criteria (e.g., optimizing deliveryor wait times, or geographical groupings). In some implementations, thekiosk 102 operating in the cook en route mode 130 may be provided withorders for food items grouped within a geographic area 138 to optimizetime and resources for delivery. Such orders may be received directlyfrom a consumer and/or from a remote order processing unit 114 via thewireless communication system 108.

In response to receiving each order, the kiosk 102 may selectively warmor heat one or more of the food preparation units 104 via the associatedheaters to warm and/or prepare an instance of a food item ordered by theconsumer. The warming of one of the food preparation units 104 may beused to maintain a temperature of an instance of a food item 106 heldwithin the food preparation unit 104. The heating of one of the foodpreparation units 104 may be used to cook an instance of a food item 106held within the food preparation unit 104. In such instances, after theinstance of the food item 106 is cooked, the associated food preparationunit 104 may change selectively warm the cooked food item 106 tomaintain the temperature of the cooked food item 106 unit is retrievedby a consumer. The process for cooking a food item ordered by a consumermay be based, at least in part, on an estimate of travel time for thekiosk 102 to travel to the consumer. For example, in some instances, thekiosk 102 may initiate the cooking of a food item ordered by a consumersuch that the food item is fully cooked at or before the estimated timethat the kiosk 102 will arrive at the delivery destination 142. In someinstances, the estimated travel and/or arrival time may be received froma remote server, such as, for example, the remote order processing unit114 and/or from a third party server.

In some implementations, the kiosk 102 operating in the cook en routemode 130 may be replenished with one more supplies and/or food items, asdiscussed above. In some implementations, the vehicle 124 may hold oneor more supplies that may be used to replenish the kiosk 102. In suchimplementations, the vehicle 124 may receive instructions to travel to alocation of the kiosk 102. In response to receiving such instructions,the vehicle 124 may proceed along a replenishment route as indicated bythe instructions to replenish the kiosk 102 with one or more suppliesand/or instances of food items. In some implementations, thereplenishment route 132 may be determined by the replenishment server126 and/or by a third-party server, and transmitted to the vehicle 124.In some locations, the kiosk 102 may travel to a location at which thekiosk 102 will be arriving at some point in the future. In someimplementations, for example, the travel instructions provided to thevehicle 124 to travel to the location to replenish the kiosk 102 may bebased at least in part on the travel time of the vehicle 124 to thelocation and on the travel time of the kiosk 102. In someimplementations, a location may be determined such that the travel timeof the vehicle 124 will be the same as, or substantially equivalent to,the travel time of the kiosk 102.

In some implementations, the kiosk 102 may be a self-propelled kioskthat may travel to a replenishment location 144, either autonomously,semi-autonomously, or non-autonomously as noted above. A building (e.g.,a warehouse) or a vehicle (e.g., a delivery vehicle) may be at thereplenishment location 144 and may hold one or more supplies that may beused to replenish the kiosk 102. In such implementations, the kiosk 102may receive instructions to travel to the replenishment location 144 inorder to have one or more supplies for the kiosk 102 replenished. Suchinstructions may include, for example, the type of supplies to bereplenished, the amount of each supply to be replenished, and a routethat the kiosk 102 should take. In response to receiving suchinstructions, the kiosk 102 may proceed along a second replenishmentroute 132 b as indicated by the instructions to travel to thereplenishment location 144. In some implementations, the secondreplenishment route 132 b may be determined by the replenishment server126 and/or by a third-party server, and transmitted to the kiosk 102.

In some implementations, the replenishment server 126 may transmit theinstructions to the vehicle 124 to replenish the kiosk 102 based uponone or more factors, as discussed above. In some implementations, thereplenishment server 126 may include a neural network 128 or otherlearning machine that may be used to determine when to transmitinstructions to replenish the kiosk 102 operating as the hub, asdiscussed above. In some implementations, the replenishment server 126may take other considerations into account to determine when to transmitinstructions and/or information to the kiosk 102 operating as the hub136.

In some implementations, the kiosk 102 may simultaneously operate inboth the cook en route mode 130 and the constellation mode 120. In suchan implementation, the kiosk 102 may be traveling to a deliverydestination 142 to deliver a food item while at the same time preparingother food items to be delivered to other delivery destinations 142 byother separate delivery vehicles (e.g., motorized vehicle 140 d). Assuch, the kiosk 102 may transmit one or more meeting locations to theseother separate delivery vehicles 140 at which the prepared food itemsmay be transferred to the other separate delivery vehicles 140. Themeeting locations may be different from the current location of thekiosk 102. For example, in some implementations, the kiosk 102 maydetermine the time remaining before a food item to be delivered by oneof the other separate delivery vehicles 140 will be prepared. The kiosk102 may then determine a location or area where the kiosk 102 is likelyto be when delivering the food item for the cook en route mode 130. Thekiosk 102 may then transmit a meeting spot to the other separatedelivery vehicle 140 to meet at the determined location or within thedetermined area to transfer the food item to be delivered in theconstellation mode 120. In some implementations, the kiosk 102 maytemporarily remain stationary at the determined location or within thedetermined area to transfer food items to multiple other deliveryvehicles 140 for delivery to multiple other delivery destinations 142 aspart of the constellation mode 120. When all of the transfers arecomplete, the kiosk 102 may then continue to the delivery destination142 for the food item to be delivered as part of the cook en route mode130.

Notably, a self-propelled kiosk can operate autonomously,semi-autonomously, or non-autonomously in traveling between locations. Akiosk can prepare (e.g., assemble, heat, cool, cook) items (e.g.,prepared food items) autonomously, semi-autonomously, ornon-autonomously. Such operation can be independent of whether the kiosktravels between locations either autonomously, semi-autonomously, ornon-autonomously. Further, a kiosk can vend or dispense or provideaccess to items (e.g., prepared food items), autonomously,semi-autonomously, or non-autonomously. Such operation can beindependent of whether the kiosk travels between locations eitherautonomously, semi-autonomously, or non-autonomously. Such operation canbe independent of whether the kiosk prepares (e.g., assembles, heats,cools, cooks) items (e.g., prepared food items) autonomously,semi-autonomously, or non-autonomously.

FIG. 2 shows a kiosk-based food vending system 200 that includes avending kiosk 202, a purchasing kiosk 204, a mobile device 206, and aremote order processing system 208, according to one illustratedimplementation. In some implementations, the kiosk-based food vendingsystem 200 may function in one of the kiosk vending mode 110, theconstellation mode, and/or the cook en route mode 130. In someimplementations, the kiosk-based food vending system 200 may selectivelytransition between the kiosk vending mode 110, the constellation mode,and/or the cook en route mode 130 as a multi-modal food preparationsystem.

The vending kiosk 202 may include one or more food preparation units 210that contain items that may be purchased and subsequently retrieved byconsumers. The vending kiosk 202 may be communicatively coupled with thepurchasing kiosk 204 and the mobile device 206 via an antenna 212 andradio 214 that are included as part of the vending kiosk 202. Thepurchasing kiosk 204 may include a purchasing kiosk antenna 216 that thepurchasing kiosk 204 may use to wirelessly transmit signals to, andreceive wirelessly transmitted signals from, the antenna 212 on thevending kiosk. The mobile device 206 may include one or more mobiledevice antenna 220 that the mobile device 206 may use to wirelesslytransmit signals to, and receive wirelessly transmitted signals from,the antenna 212 on the vending kiosk 202. The purchasing kiosk 204and/or the mobile device 206 may advantageously be used to receiveand/or authorize purchase transactions at locations that are remote fromthe vending kiosk 202 from which the purchased items are retrieved. Suchan arrangement provides consumers with the ability to place andauthorize purchase transactions at their convenience, such as, forexample, when the consumer is in transit to the vending kiosk 202. Suchan arrangement may be used for crowd control and management byseparating the purchase transaction activities at the purchasing kiosk204 from the item retrieval activities at the vending kiosk 202, therebydecreasing the number of consumers who may be congregating around thevending kiosk 202 at any given time.

The vending kiosk 202 may include a control system 218. The controlsystem 218 may take the form of any current or future developedprocessor-enabled device capable of executing one or more instructionsets. The control system 218 may include one or more processing units toexecute one or more processor-readable instructions, instruction sets,or instruction blocks. The control system 218 may include a systemmemory to store one or more processor-readable instructions, instructionsets, or instruction blocks to be executed by the processor. Suchprocessor-readable instructions, instruction sets, or instruction blocksmay be used to generate one or more control signals that may be used tocontrol the various components of the vending kiosk 202. In someimplementations, the processor-readable instructions, instruction sets,or instruction blocks may control the operation of various subsystems orcomponents on the vending kiosk 202, such as various components of auser input device 222. In some implementations, the control system 218may be used to communicate using one or more using wirelesscommunications protocols via the antenna 212 and radio 214. In someimplementation, some or all of the processor-readable instructions,instruction sets, or instruction blocks may be executed by an off-boardprocessor-enabled device, such as the remote order processing system208. In such an implementation, the resulting control signals may betransmitted to the vending kiosk via a communication network.

In some implementations, one or more components in the wireless networkmay communicate using wireless communications protocols, such asprotocols for wireless local area networks (e.g., WIFI®, IEEE 802.11,WiMAX, IEEE 802.116, VoIP, and the like) or protocols for wirelesspeer-to-peer communications (e.g., Bluetooth®, Bluetooth® Low Energy,and the like). In some implementations, the devices such as the vendingkiosk 202, the purchasing kiosk 204, and/or the mobile device 206 maycommunicate via near field communication (NFC) and/or radio frequencyidentification (RFID).

In some implementations, the purchasing kiosk 204 and/or the vendingkiosk 202 may include a user input device 222 that may include one ormore of a magnetic stripe reader 224, a keypad 226, a touchscreen 228,an image capture device 230, and/or a biometric capture device 232. Insome implementations, the magnetic stripe reader 224 may be used to readand collect information that has been encoded within a financialtransaction card using, for example, a magnetic stripe, a card chip, orsome other type of storage medium. The magnetic stripe reader 224 may becommunicatively coupled to one or more processors that may authorize arequested purchase transaction based upon information stored withinand/or associated with the financial transaction card. Such one or moreprocessors may be located locally at the purchasing kiosk 204 and/orremotely from the purchasing kiosk 204 at one or more processor-enableddevices, such as the remote order processing system 208, that may becommunicatively coupled to the purchasing kiosk 204 via a communicationsnetwork 234.

The keypad 226 and/or touchscreen 228 may be used to enter informationrelated to an item stored within one or more of the food preparationunits 210 in the vending kiosk 202. In such an implementation, forexample, the keypad 226 and/or touchscreen 228 may be used to enter akey code that may associated with a previous purchase transaction and/ororder to be retrieved from one of the food preparation units 210 in thevending kiosk 202. In some implementations, the key code may include anorder identifier that may be associated with a previous purchasetransaction and may be comprised of a unique code that is associatedwith an order to be retrieved from the vending kiosk 202. In someimplementations, the order identifier may be a randomly generatedidentifier that is not related to the order identifiers associated withother items being stored within the vending kiosk 202. Such a randomlygenerated identifier may be used, for example, to prevent orders frombeing stolen, and to reduce the possibility that an order entry that hasbeen mis-entered will nonetheless open the door 236 to one of the foodpreparation units 210 associated with another order. In someimplementations, the key code may additionally or alternatively includea customer identifier that may be associated with the customer who willbe retrieving the order from the vending kiosk 202. In someimplementations, the touchscreen 228 may be used to display informationidentifying the appropriate door 236 from which a consumer can retrievean order from the vending kiosk 202.

The image capture device 230 may include, for example, a video camera ora still-image camera that may be used to capture images. In someimplementations, such images may include, for example, machine-readablesymbols that may be displayed within a field-of-vision of the imagecapture device 230. Such machine-readable symbols may include, forexample, bar codes and/or Quick Response codes. In such animplementation, the machine-readable symbols may be affixed to aphysical object (e.g., printed on a piece of paper) and/or may berendered on a changeable display. For example, in some implementations,the machine-readable symbol may be electronically transmitted to aportable device via, for example, an email and/or text to an addressassociated with the consumer, to be rendered on a display of theportable device within the field-of-vision of the image capture device230. The image capture device 230 in such an implementation may transmitthe captured image of the machine-readable symbol to a processor-enableddevice to decode the information contained within the machine-readablesymbol. Such a processor enabled device may be local to the purchasingkiosk 204 or located remotely from the purchasing kiosk 204. Inresponse, the processor-enabled device may transmit one or more signalsthat may result in the appropriate door 236 to one of the foodpreparation units 210 in the vending kiosk 202 being unlocked for theconsumer.

The biometric capture device 232 and associated software may be used toidentify consumers based upon one or more physical characteristics. Thebiometric capture device 232 and associated software may be used toidentify consumers based upon, for example, one or more of fingerprints,facial features, eye feature, vocal characteristics, and/or any otherunique physical characteristic of the consumer. In some implementations,such software may be implemented by one or more processor-enableddevices, including processor-enabled devices that may be communicativelycoupled to the purchasing kiosk 204 via a communications network. Oncethe biometric capture device 232 and associated software has identifiedthe consumer, the processor-enable device may transmit one or moresignals that may result in the appropriate door 236 to one of the foodpreparation units 210 in the vending kiosk 202 being unlocked for theconsumer.

The mobile device 206 may be used to enter purchasing information and toretrieve an item from one of the food preparation units 210 in thevending kiosk 202. Such purchasing and retrieval via the mobile device206 may be facilitated by a user application, or app, that isimplemented on and displayed by the mobile device 206. In someimplementations, the consumer may use a software application (app) withan associated user interface presented by the mobile device 206 toauthorize a purchase transaction for an item held in one of the foodpreparation units 210 in the vending kiosk 202. In some implementations,the app may be used to display pictures or other information related tothe items stored in the various food preparation units 210 in thevending kiosk 202. In some implementations, the app rendered by themobile device 206 may be used to display additional information tofacilitate a purchase transaction by the consumer. For example, in someimplementations, the app may be used to display or otherwise presentinformation, such as location information in the form of a map and/oraddress list, for multiple vending kiosks 202 located within thevicinity of the consumer. Such information may also include the type ofitems currently available for purchase from each of the differentvending kiosks 202. Such an app may enable the consumer to remotelyauthorize a purchase transaction for items that may be retrieved fromone of the various vending kiosks 202. The consumer may then travel tothe appropriate vending kiosk 202 without worrying that the item mayhave been sold out in during the interim period while the consumertraveled to the vending kiosk 202.

In some implementations, the consumer may use the app rendered by themobile device 206 to retrieve items from the vending kiosk 202. In someimplementations, for example, the app may be used to produce amachine-readable symbol that may be detected by the vending kiosk 202.Such a machine-readable symbol may be in the form of a visual symbol(e.g., a bar code symbol or a Quick Response code symbol) that may bedetected by an image capture device 230 at the vending kiosk 202. Insome implementations, a machine-readable symbol may be contained withina wireless transmission, such as an NFC signal and/or an RFID signal,that may be received by the antenna 212 and radio 214 at the vendingkiosk 202. Upon receiving and confirming the machine-readable symbol,the vending kiosk may open the door 236 to the appropriate foodpreparation units 210 of the vending kiosk 202 to provide access to thefood item to be retrieved from the associated food preparation unit 210.In some implementations, the app may be used to display informationidentifying the door 236 to the appropriate food preparation unit 210 ofthe vending kiosk 202 upon confirming the purchase transaction.

The remote order processing system 208 may be communicatively coupled tothe vending kiosk 202 via the communications network 234. In someimplementations, the remote order processing system 208 may execute oneor more instructions from a purchase confirmation application to confirma purchase transaction for one or more food items being held within oneor more of the food preparation units 210 in the vending kiosk 202. Suchpurchase transactions may be initiated by one or more of the vendingkiosk 202, the purchasing kiosk 204, and/or the mobile device 206, forexample. The purchase confirmation application can be executed by one ormore hardware circuits, for instance one or more processors and storedon one or more associated nontransitory storage media, e.g., memory(e.g., FLASH, RAM, ROM) and/or spinning media (e.g., spinning magneticmedia, spinning optical media) that stores at least one ofprocessor-executable instructions or data. The remote order processingsystem 208 may communicatively couple with the vending kiosk 202 totransmit information to confirm a purchase transaction. Somecommunications can employ one or more proprietary communicationschannels, for instance a proprietary network communications channel likea proprietary Local Area Network (LAN) or proprietary Wide Area Network(WAN) such as one or more intranets. Some communications can employ oneor more non-proprietary communications channels, for instance one ormore non-proprietary network communications channels like a Wide AreaNetwork (WAN) such as the Internet and/or cellular providercommunications networks including voice, data and short message service(SMS) networks or channels as part of the communications network 234.

In some implementations, the remote order processing system 208 mayexecute one or more instructions from an end user authenticationapplication to authenticate the identity of an end user to retrieve oneor more food items being held within one or more of the food preparationunit 210 in the vending kiosk 202. Such end user authentication may beinitiated by one or more of the vending kiosk 202, the purchasing kiosk204, and/or the mobile device 206. The end user authenticationapplication can be executed by one or more hardware circuits, forinstance one or more processors and stored on one or more associatednontransitory storage media, e.g., memory (e.g., FLASH, RAM, ROM) and/orspinning media (e.g., spinning magnetic media, spinning optical media)that stores at least one of processor-executable instructions or data.The remote order processing system 208 may communicatively couple withthe vending kiosk 202 to transmit information to confirm a purchasetransaction. Some communications can employ one or more proprietarycommunications channels, for instance a proprietary networkcommunications channel like a proprietary Local Area Network (LAN) orproprietary Wide Area Network (WAN) such as one or more intranets. Somecommunications can employ one or more non-proprietary communicationschannels, for instance one or more non-proprietary networkcommunications channels like a Wide Area Network (WAN) such as theInternet and/or cellular provider communications networks includingvoice, data and short message service (SMS) networks or channels as partof the communications network 234.

In some implementations, the remote order processing system 208 maytransmit routing, cooking (e.g., temperature control schedule), and/ordestination instructions to the vending kiosk 202 and/or one or moredelivery vehicles (not shown) via the communications network 234. Suchrouting and/or destination instructions may be used, for example, whenthe vending kiosk 202 is autonomously movable. The vending kiosk 202 maystore the transmitted routing, cooking, and/or destination instructionson one or more nontransitory storage media to be used during routing ofthe vehicle, cooking of food items, and/or travel to a destination. Insome implementations, the remote order processing system 208 maytransmit updated routing, cooking, and/or destination instructions tothe vending kiosk 202, which may thereby update the previously storedinstructions. In some implementations, the vending kiosk 202 maytransmit information back to the remote order processing system 208.Such information may include, for example, number and amount of sales offood items, remaining ingredients left in the vending kiosk 202, currentlocation of the vending kiosk 202, and like information. The routing,cooking, and/or destination instructions may be used by the vendingkiosk 202 to travel to the distribution location.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show a multi-modal food preparation system 300 thatincludes a self-propelled kiosk 301 with a vending kiosk 302, a set ofwheels 304, a motor 306, an optional cleaning subsystem 308, and anon-board self-propelled vehicle control system 310, according to atleast one illustrated implementation. Such a multi-modal foodpreparation system 300 may selectively transition between the kioskvending mode 110, the constellation mode, and/or the cook en route mode130 as a multi-modal food preparation system. Although depicted asincluding a self-propelled kiosk 301, the multi-modal food preparationsystem 300 may optionally not have an on-board self-propelled vehiclecontrol system 310, and may optionally remain stationary.

The vending kiosk 302 may include a plurality of doors 312 that mayprovide access to corresponding food preparation units 314. Items, suchas food items, may be retrieved from the food preparation units 314.Each of the doors 312 may be in an open configuration 316 to provideaccess to the associated food preparation unit 314, or in a closedconfiguration 318 to prevent access to the associated food preparationunit 314. In some implementations, one or more of the doors 312 may beselectively locked in the closed configuration 318 to protect the itembeing stored in the corresponding food preparation unit 314 until theitem can be retrieved by the consumer who has purchased the item.

The set of wheels 304 may be used by the self-propelled kiosk 300 totravel across a geographic area. The motor 306 may be drivingly coupledto one or more wheels in the set of wheels 304, and used to drive theset of wheels 304 in an autonomous vehicle mode or in a semi-autonomousvehicle mode. The motor 306 may be any type of motor that may be used todrive the set of wheels 304, such as an electric motor, agasoline-powered motor, a natural gas-powered motor, or any other typeof similar motor. In some implementations, a set of treads 320 may beused to travel over a physical terrain. In such implementations, the setof treads 320 may provide improved stability when traveling over uneventerrain as compared to the set of wheels 304.

In some implementations, in the autonomous vehicle mode, theself-propelled kiosk 300 may be provided with destination information(e.g., destination location and/or route information), and theself-propelled kiosk 300 may navigate to the destination without anycontrol or supervision by a human. In such an implementation, theself-propelled kiosk 300 may use one or more sensors to collectinformation about the surroundings of the self-propelled kiosk 300.Based upon the collected information, one or more control systems on theself-propelled kiosk 300 may determine what actions the self-propelledkiosk 300 should take in response in order to continue traveling towardsthe destination location. In some implementations, in thesemi-autonomous vehicle mode, the self-propelled kiosk 300 may besubject to at least some control and/or supervision by a human. In suchan implementation, for example, the self-propelled kiosk 300 may use oneor more sensors to collect information about the surroundings of theself-propelled kiosk 300. A human controller may have the ability toreview the collected information and control the navigation of theself-propelled kiosk 300 based upon this collected information. In someimplementations, the human controller may intervene to control theself-propelled kiosk 300 in limited situations, such as, for example,when a control system on the self-propelled kiosk 300 cannot identify anext action to take in a given situation.

The cleaning subsystem 308 may include one or more brushes 322, a plenum324, and a low-pressure source 326, and a debris collection compartment328. The brushes 322 and the plenum 324 may be located along abottom-facing side 330 (FIG. 3B) of the self-propelled kiosk 300, andmay be oriented to face towards the ground or other surface on which theself-propelled kiosk 300 rests. In some implementations, the brushes 322may have an annular shape or a circular shape with an outside diameter331 and a height 332. The height 332 of the brushes 322 may be equal toor larger than a distance separating the bottom-facing side 330 of theself-propelled kiosk 300 from the ground or surface on which theself-propelled kiosk 300 rests. In this situation, at least a portion ofthe brushes 322 may make contact with the surface on which theself-propelled kiosk 300 rests to facilitate the collection of debrisfrom the surface. In some implementations, at least some of the brushes322 may be drivingly coupled to a motor that may move the brushes 322 toimprove the collection of debris. In implementations in which thebrushes 322 have a circular profile, the motor may rotate the brushes322 about an axis of rotation 333 that extends outward from a center ofthe brushes 322. In such an implementation, the brushes 322 may berotated to sweep debris towards a collection component (e.g., the plenum324, discussed below) located on the bottom facing side 330 of theself-propelled kiosk 300. For example, in implementations involvingbrushes 322 with a circular shape, the portion of the brush 322 facingthe direction of movement of the self-propelled kiosk 300 may be rotatedtowards collection component to thereby facilitate the collection ofdebris.

The cleaning subsystem 308 may include a plenum 324 and an associatedlow pressure source 326. The plenum 324 may have an open end 334 andextend outward from the bottom-facing side 330 of the self-propelledkiosk 300 such that the open end 334 is directed towards the surfacethat supports the self-propelled kiosk 300. In some implementations, theopen end 334 of the plenum 324 may have a rectangular profile with alength and a width, and the plenum 324 may have a height 336. Suchheight 336 may be less than the distance from the bottom-facing side 330of the self-propelled kiosk 300 and the surface on which theself-propelled kiosk 300. The plenum 324 may be in fluid communicationwith the low pressure source 326, such as a pump. The low pressuresource 326 may create a low pressure that is less than an atmosphericpressure of the ambient environment surrounding the self-propelled kiosk300. The low pressure created by the low pressure source 326 may producea suction effect at the open end 334 to thereby draw debris into theopen end 334 of the plenum 324.

The plenum 324 may be in fluid communication with a debris collectioncompartment 328 such that a fluid pathway extends from the open end 334of the plenum 324 to the debris collection compartment 328. The debristhat enters the open end 334 of the plenum 324 may travel through thefluid pathway to the debris collection compartment 328. The debriscollection compartment 328 may include an interior cavity that may storethe debris collected by the cleaning subsystem 308. In someimplementations, the debris collection compartment 328 may beselectively removable from the self-propelled kiosk 300 such that thedebris contained within the debris collection compartment 328 may beemptied.

The on-board self-propelled vehicle control system 310 may take the formof any current or future developed processor-enabled device capable ofexecuting one or more instruction sets. The on-board self-propelledvehicle control system 310 may include one or more processing units toexecute one or more processor-readable instructions, instruction sets,or instruction blocks. The on-board self-propelled vehicle controlsystem 310 may include a system memory to store one or moreprocessor-readable instructions, instruction sets, or instruction blocksto be executed by the processor. Such processor-readable instructions,instruction sets, or instruction blocks may be used to generate one ormore control signals that may be used to control the various componentsof the self-propelled kiosk 300, such as the motor 306 and/or thecleaning subsystem 308. In some implementations, the processor-readableinstructions, instruction sets, or instruction blocks may control theoperation of self-propelled kiosk 300 in one or both of the autonomousvehicle mode and the semi-autonomous vehicle mode. In someimplementation, some or all of the processor-readable instructions,instruction sets, or instruction blocks may be executed by an off-boardprocessor-enabled device. In such an implementation, the resultingcontrol signals may be transmitted to the vending kiosk via acommunication network.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show different isometric views of an interior 400 of onefood preparation unit 402 in a vending kiosk 404, according to at leastone illustrated implementation. A container 406, such as a containerthat may hold one or more food items, is supported in the foodpreparation unit 402, for instance resting one a bottom surface 408 ofthe food preparation unit 402. The interior 400 of the food preparationunit 402 may include one or more side walls 410 and an upper surface412. The bottom surface 408, the one or more side walls 410, and theupper surface 412 may comprise the interior surfaces of the foodpreparation unit 402.

The food preparation unit 402 may include a heater 416 that may be usedto increase the temperature of the interior 400 of the food preparationunit 402 to a heated state. The heater 416 may include one or more of anelectrically resistive heating element, a natural gas burner, a propaneburner, and/or an inductive heating element. In some implementations,the heater 416 may be positioned, for example, along a side wall 410that is opposite the opening 418 to the food preparation unit 402. Insuch an implementation, the heater 416 may include a heater opening 420through which heat may be introduced to the interior 400 of the foodpreparation unit 402. Alternatively, one or more walls of thecompartments may include thermally radiant elements (e.g., electricallyresistive conduits carrying heated fluid). In some implementations, afan may be used to direct heated air into the interior 400 of the foodpreparation unit 402 through the heater opening 420 or to otherwisecirculate heated air throughout the food preparation unit 402.

In some implementations, each food preparation unit 402 in the vendingkiosk 404 may include a separate heater 416, such that the vending kiosk404 includes a plurality of heaters 416. In such implementations, atleast one of the plurality of heaters 416 may include an electricallyresistive heating element. In some implementations, the heated stateprovided by the heater 416 may include a cooking state in which theheater 416 may raise the temperature in the food preparation unit 402 toat least 325° F. to cook an item of food stored in the compartment. Insome implementations, the heated state provided by the heater 416 mayinclude a heating state in which the heater 416 may be operable to raisethe temperature in the food preparation unit 402 to between 140° F. and250° F. to warm an already cooked item of food stored in the interior400 of the food preparation unit 402. In some implementations, theheater 416 may be operable transition between the cooking state and thewarming state based upon one or more signals, such as signals that maybe transmitted by a processor-enabled device. In such implementations,for example, the heater 416 may transition from the cooking state to thewarming state in response to a food item being fully cooked, such thatthe fully cooked food item may be maintained at a warm, elevatedtemperature until the food item is retrieved.

In some implementations, the food preparation unit 402 may include acooler 422 that may be used to decrease the temperature of the interior400 of the food preparation unit 402. The cooler 422 may include one ormore of a refrigerant carrying coil and compressor, a Peltier device, orthermoelectric cooler. In some implementations, the cooler 422 may bepositioned, for example, along one of the side walls 410 of the foodpreparation unit 402. In such an implementation, the cooler 422 mayinclude a cooler opening 424 through which cooled, refrigerated air maybe introduced to the interior 400 of the food preparation unit 402 tothereby lower the temperature of the interior 400 of the foodpreparation unit 402 in a refrigerated state. In some implementations, afan may be used to direct the refrigerated air into the interior 400 ofthe food preparation unit 402. One or more Peltier devices canadvantageously be used for both cooling and heating.

In some implementations, each food preparation unit 402 in the vendingkiosk 404 may include a separate cooler 422, such that the vending kiosk404 includes a plurality of coolers 422. In such implementations, atleast one of the plurality of coolers 422 may include a refrigerantcarrying coil. In some implementations, the refrigerated state providedby the cooler 422 may lower the temperature within the interior 400 ofthe food preparation unit 402 to at or below 41° F. to cool an item offood stored in the compartment. In some implementations, one foodpreparation unit 402 may include a heater 416 and a cooler 422 that maybe operable to transition between the refrigerated state, the warmingstate, and the cooking state. In such implementations, for example, thecooler 422 may maintain a food item at a lower temperature (e.g., at orbelow 41° F.) until an order for the food item is received, and/or asignal to begin cooking the food item is received. At that point, thecooler 422 may stop providing refrigerated air to the interior 400 ofthe food preparation unit 402. At or about the same time, the heater 416may transition to the cooking state to cook the food item held withinthe interior 400 of the compartment until the food item is cooked. Whenthe food item is cooked, the heater 416 may transition from the cookingstate to the warming state to keep the food item warm until the fooditem is retrieved from the food preparation unit 402.

The food preparation unit 402 may optionally include a stone floor orcast iron floor. In some implementations, the food preparation unit 402includes electrically radiant elements. In some implementations, thefood preparation unit 402 may include one or more Peltier thermoelectricheater/coolers. In some implementations, the food preparation unit 402takes the form of air impingement ovens, including one or more blowersthat blow extremely hot air, and optionally a rack with a manifold. Insome implementations, the food preparation unit 402 may include athermally insulative barrier, preferably a Yttrium, Indium, Manganese,and Oxygen (YInMn) barrier.

In some implementations, a processor enabled device or component (e.g.,the control system 218 (see FIG. 2)) may be used to implement atemperature control schedule to be used to control the temperature statewithin one or more of the food preparation units 402 in the vendingkiosk 404. Such temperature states may specify, for example, that theheater 416 heat the food preparation unit 402 to a cooking state to cooka food item, and then transition to a warming state to keep the cookedfood item warm. In some implementations, the temperature controlschedule may specify that the compartment be kept in a refrigeratedstate by the cooler 422 for a first time period, and then specify thatthe compartment be kept in a cooking state by the heater 416 for asecond time period in order to completely cook the food item. In someimplementations, the temperature control schedule may be based at leastin part on an estimated pick-up time at which an end user will bearriving to pick-up the food item being cooked. As such, the temperaturecontrol schedule may be set to minimize the amount of time that elapsesafter the food item is completely cooked and the expected time at whichthe end user will arrive to retrieve the item. In some implementations,the temperature control schedule may be modified based upon an updatedexpected arrival and pick-up time for the end user. In someimplementations, the temperature control schedule may be used totransition the food preparation unit 402 between one or more of therefrigerated state, the cooking state, and the warming state.

In some implementations, the vending kiosk 404 may include one or moreactuators, such as a locking actuator 426 a, a door-rotating actuator426 b, and a magnetic actuator 426 c (collectively, “actuators 426”).Such actuators 426 may be comprised of one or more of a solenoid, apiston and cylinder (e.g., hydraulic, pneumatic), a pair of magnetsincluding at least one electromagnet, or a pair of an electromagnet anda ferrous metal, for example. In some implementations, one or more ofthe locking actuator 426 a, the door-rotating actuator 426 b, and/or amagnetic actuator 426 c may be included in the same structure and/or beimplemented by the same actuator.

In some implementations, the locking actuator 426 a may include a latchcomponent 428 that may be comprised of a housing 430 and a selectivelyextendable latch 432 that may be used to lock and unlock the doors 434.In some implementations, the selectively extendable latch 432 may beselectively contained within the housing 430 in a retracted state andselectively extended from one end of the housing 430 in an extendedstate. In some implementations, the selectively extendable latch 432 maybe selectively extended from the housing 430 when a door 434 is in theclosed configuration (e.g., closed configuration 318) to thereby securethe door 434 in a locked state in the closed configuration. In someimplementations, the selectively extendable latch 432 may engage with anassociated strike plate 438 that is installed along a portion of theside wall 410 of the corresponding food preparation unit 402 when theselectively extendable latch 432 is in the extended state and the door434 is in the locked state in the closed configuration (e.g., closedconfiguration 318).

In some implementations, the selectively extendable latch 432 maytransition between the extended state and the retracted state responsiveto an actuator signal that may be received, for example, by the latchcomponent 428 from a processor-enabled device or component. In someimplementations, for example, the selectively extendable latch 432 maytransition to the retracted state when such an actuator signal isreceived. In such implementations, the selectively extendable latch 432may default to the extended state in the absence of such an actuatorsignal. In some implementations, the selectively extendable latch 432may include a beveled edge that faces the opening 418 of the foodpreparation unit 402. Such a beveled edge may facilitate the selectivelyextendable latch 432 retracting into the housing 430 sufficiently forthe door 434 to transition to the closed configuration, at which pointthe selectively extendable latch 432 may transition to the extendedstate and engage with the strike plate 438 when the selectivelyextendable latch 432 and the strike plate 438 align.

In some implementations, the door-rotating actuator 426 b may bephysically coupled to the door 434 and/or to the food preparation unit402 via a first door-rotating actuator portion 440 and to a portion ofthe food preparation unit 402 via a second door-rotating actuatorportion 442. In such a configuration, the first door-rotating actuatorportion 440 may be used to apply a rotational force to the door 434 tophysically move the door 434 by rotating the door 434 about the axis ofrotation 444, thereby transitioning the door 434 between an openconfiguration 446 and a closed configuration (e.g., closed configuration318). In some implementations, the door-rotating actuator 426 b may beresponsive to an actuator signal received, for example, from a processorenabled device or component to physically move the door 434 to the openconfiguration 446 by applying an outward rotational force to the door434. In the absence of such an actuator signal, the first door-rotatingactuator portion 440 may apply an inward rotational force to the door434 to thereby transition the door 434 to the closed configuration(e.g., closed configuration 318).

The magnetic actuator 426 c may be used to apply a linear force on thedoor 434 to transition the door 434 between the open configuration 446and the closed configuration. In some implementations, the magneticactuator 426 c may include a housing 448 mounted along a side wall 410of the food preparation unit 402 and/or the interior surface 450 of thedoor 434, and a pair of magnets, a first magnet 452 a mounted along thedoor 434 (e.g., in the housing 448) and a second magnet 452 b mountedalong the interior surface 450 of the door 434. The first magnet 452 aand the second magnet 452 b may be aligned when the door 434 is in theclosed configuration (e.g., closed configuration 318). In someimplementations, the first magnet 452 a and the second magnet 452 b maybe of the same polarity such that the pair of magnets provides anoutward rotational force on the door 434, thereby biasing the door 434to the open configuration 446. In some implementations, the first magnet452 a and the second magnet 452 b may be of opposite polarities suchthat the pair of magnets provides an inward rotational force on the door434, thereby biasing the door 434 to the closed configuration (e.g.,closed configuration 318). In some implementations, at least one of thefirst magnet 452 a and the second magnet 452 b may be an electromagnetthat may be selectively activated, such as, for example, by an actuatorsignal received from a processor controlled device or component. In suchan implementation, the pair of magnets may provide a rotational forcewhen receiving such an actuator signal. In some implementations, thefirst magnet 452 a and the second magnet 452 b may be of oppositepolarities such that the attractional force between the magnets may keepthe door 434 in a closed and locked position. In such an implementation,an electromagnet may be employed, along with a circuit that controls amagnetic attraction (e.g., ON/OFF; North/South) of the electromagnet.The electromagnet may be paired with, for example a permanent magnet ora piece of ferrous metal, or another electromagnet.

In some implementations, the magnetic actuator 426 c may include ahousing and a selectively extendable arm (not shown) in which theselectively extendable arm is selectively contained within the housingin a retracted state, and selectively extended from the housing in anextended state. In such an implementation, for example, the selectivelyextendable arm may be responsive to selectively extend and/or retractbased upon an actuator signal received from a processor-enabled deviceand/or component. For example, in some implementations, when theactuator signal is received, the selectively extendable arm maytransition to the extended state, thereby providing an outwardrotational force on the door 434 when the door 434 is in the closedconfiguration (e.g., closed configuration 318). Such an outwardrotational force may be sufficient to physically move the door 434 awayfrom the closed configuration (e.g., closed configuration 318). In someimplementations, such movement may serve as a visual indication to aconsumer of the food preparation unit 402 that holds the item associatedwith the consumer.

In some implementations, a processor-enabled device or component (e.g.,the control system 218) may be used to control the operation of one ormore of the heater 416, the cooler 422, the locking actuator 426 a, thedoor-rotating actuator 426 b, and/or the magnetic actuator 426 c. Theprocessor-enabled device may include one or more processing units toexecute one or more processor-readable instructions, instruction sets,or instruction blocks. The processor-enabled device may include a systemmemory to store one or more processor-readable instructions, instructionsets, or instruction blocks to be executed by the processor. Suchprocessor-readable instructions, instruction sets, or instruction blocksmay be used to generate one or more control signals that may be used tocontrol the various components of the vending kiosk 404, such as theactuators 426. In some implementations, the processor-readableinstructions, instruction sets, or instruction blocks may control theoperation of various subsystems or components on the vending kiosk, suchas heater 416, and/or the cooler 422. In some implementation, some orall of the processor-readable instructions, instruction sets, orinstruction blocks may be executed by an off-board processor-enableddevice. In such an implementation, the resulting control signals may betransmitted to the vending kiosk via a communication network.

FIG. 5 shows a method 500 that may be used to transmit information to akiosk 102 to operate in a constellation mode 120 in a multi-modal foodpreparation system 100, according to one illustrated implementation. Themethod 500 can, for example, be executed by one or more processor-baseddevices, for instance the control system 218 and/or the remote orderprocessing system 208, and starts at 502.

At 504, a processor-based device, for example, the remote orderprocessing system 208, may transmit instructions to the kiosk 102 tooperate in kiosk vending mode 110. The kiosk 102 may be located at avending location 118, and may remain, stationary, at the vendinglocation 118 while it operates in the kiosk vending mode 110. The kiosk102 may include one or more food preparation units 104 that may each beused to prepare and/or vend one or more instances of food items 106 as acombined cooking and vending vehicle 102 a. In some implementations, thefood preparation unit 104 may include one or more heaters that may beused to selectively heat the food preparation unit 104. Such a heatermay be used to cook or to maintain the warmth of the food item 106contained or stored within the food preparation unit 104.

At 506, the instructions transmitted at 504 may cause the kiosk toaccept orders for instances of food items, and/or to vend instances offood items that are provided directly to customers. In someimplementations, such orders may be received from a wirelesscommunication network, for example, via a wireless communication system108. In some implementations, the kiosk 102 may receive orderstransmitted from one or more customer processor-based communicationsdevices 112 (e.g., a smart phone 112 a or a tablet 112 b) directly tothe kiosk 102. In some implementations, the kiosk 102 may receive ordersentered into a point-of-sale system 113 that may be incorporated into orcommunicatively coupled to the kiosk 102.

In response to receiving each order, the kiosk 102 may selectively warmor heat one or more of the food preparation units 104 via the associatedheaters. The warming of one of the food preparation units 104 may beused to maintain a temperature of an instance of a food item 106 heldwithin the food preparation unit 104. The heating of one of the foodpreparation units 104 may be used to cook an instance of a food item 106held within the food preparation unit 104.

In some instances, the kiosk 102 may vend one or more food items tocustomers by providing each customer with access to the appropriate foodpreparation unit 104 when the customer arrives at the vending location118. In some implementations, the access may be provided, for example,by the customer entering an order and/or identification code into a userinterface that may be incorporated into the kiosk 102. In someinstances, the consumer may access the appropriate food preparation unit104 upon arriving at the vending location 118, for example, by enteringan order and/or identification code into a user interface that may beaccessible via the mobile device (e.g., the smartphone 112 a) associatedwith the consumer. In some implementations, the customer may enter theorder and/or identification code into the user input device 222 that maybe accessible on a vending kiosk 202 and/or purchasing kiosk 204, whichmay be located at the vending location 118. In some instances, the kiosk102 may detect the presence of a device (e.g., the smartphone 112 a)associated with the consumer at the vending location 118 and provideaccess to the appropriate food preparation unit 104 in response.

At 508, the method 500 terminates, for example until invoked again.Alternatively, the method 500 may repeat continuously or repeatedly, ormay execute as multiple instances of a multi-threaded process.

FIG. 6 shows a method 600 of operating a multi-modal food preparationsystem 100 in a constellation mode 120, according to one illustratedimplementation. The method 600 can, for example, be executed by one ormore processor-based devices, for instance the control system 218 and/orthe remote order processing system 208, and starts at 602.

At 604, a processor-enabled device, such as, for example, the remoteorder processing system 208, may transmit instructions to a kiosk 102 tooperate as a hub 136 in a constellation mode 120. Such instructions mayinclude providing information regarding a location 134 at which thekiosk 102 is to serve as a hub 136. In some implementations, theinstructions may include a description of the geographic area 138 forwhich the kiosk 102 is to serve as a hub 136. In some implementations,such instructions may include information regarding one or more deliveryvehicles 140 that may provide deliveries from the kiosk 102 to deliverydestinations 142 within the geographic area 138. Such vehicleinformation may include, for example, type of vehicle, location,information regarding the current driver of the delivery vehicle 140,amount of time on-shift, amount of time remaining in shift, carryingcapacity of the delivery vehicle 140, and other such similarinformation.

In response to receiving the transmitted instructions, the kiosk 102 maybegin to prepare one or more food items 106 that may be delivered tocustomers in the geographic area 138 surrounding the location 134. Suchpreparation may include, for example, heating the one or more food itemsin the respective food preparation unit 104. In some implementations,the food preparation unit 104 may warm the one or food items once theone or more food items are prepared to maintain the temperature of theone or more prepared food items at a desired temperature.

At 606, a processor-enabled device, such as, for example, the remoteorder processing system 208 and/or the control system 218 on the kiosk102, may transmit information to one or more delivery vehicles 140. Insome implementations, such information may include instructions toretrieve one or more food items 106 from the kiosk 102, and/orinstructions to deliver the retrieved food items 106 to one or moredelivery destinations 142. In response to receiving such information,the delivery vehicle 140 may be dispatched to the kiosk 102 operating asa hub 115. In some implementations, the dispatch of the delivery vehicleto the kiosk 102 operating as a hub 115 may be based on one or morecriteria, such as, for example, the readiness of an order to bedelivered by the delivery vehicle 140, an estimated travel time from thekiosk 102 operating as a hub 115 to a delivery destination 142 using asingle destination delivery route, an estimated travel time from thekiosk 102 operating as a hub 115 to a delivery destination 142 locatedon a multiple destination delivery route, and a delivery time period fordelivering an order to an associated delivery destination 142, in whichthe delivery time period may provide a threshold time by which deliveryof the order is to be completed. In some implementations, theinstructions transmitted to the delivery vehicle 140 may include, forexample, destination information for the delivery destinations 142associated with each of the respective orders of food items to bedelivered. In some implementations, the instructions transmitted to thedelivery vehicle 140 may include route information to the location 134of the kiosk 102 and/or route information from the location 134 of thekiosk 102 to the delivery destination 142 associated with an order foran instance of a food item.

At 608, the method 600 terminates, for example until invoked again.Alternatively, the method 600 may repeat continuously or repeatedly, ormay execute as multiple instances of a multi-threaded process.

FIG. 7 shows a method 700 of operating a multi-modal food preparationsystem 100 in a cook en route mode 130, according to at least oneillustrated implementation. The method 700 can, for example, be executedby one or more processor-based devices, for instance the control system218 and/or the remote order processing system 208, and starts at 702.

At 704, a processor-enabled device, such as, for example, the remoteorder processing system 208, may transmit instructions to a kiosk 102 tooperate in a cook en route mode 130. Such instructions may cause thekiosk 102 to enter a mode of operation in which the kiosk 102 isoperable to prepare and/or cook food items for delivery as the kiosk 102travels between different delivery destinations 142. In such a mode, thekiosk 102 may serve as a cooking and delivery vehicle.

At 706, a processor-enabled device, such as, for example, the remoteorder processing system 208, may transmit information to the kiosk 102regarding one or more food items to prepare and/or deliver. In someimplementations, such information may include preparation and/or cookinginstructions to prepare and/or cook food items to be delivered by thekiosk 102. In some implementations, the kiosk 102 may selectively warmor heat one or more of the food preparation units 104 via the associatedheaters to warm and/or prepare an instance of a food item ordered by theconsumer in response to receiving the information in 706. The warming ofone of the food preparation units 104 may be used to maintain atemperature of an instance of a food item 106 held within the foodpreparation unit 104. The heating of one of the food preparation units104 may be used to cook an instance of a food item 106 held within thefood preparation unit 104. In such instances, after the instance of thefood item 106 is cooked, the associated food preparation unit 104 maychange selectively warm the cooked food item 106 to maintain thetemperature of the cooked food item 106 unit is retrieved by a consumer.The process for cooking a food item ordered by a consumer may be based,at least in part, on an estimate of travel time for the kiosk 102 totravel to the consumer.

At 708, a processor-enabled device, such as, for example, the remoteorder processing system 208, may transmit information to the kiosk 102regarding a destination location to deliver the prepared food item. Assuch, the information transmitted to the kiosk 102 may include, forexample, destination information for the delivery destinations 142associated with each of the respective orders of food items to bedelivered. In some implementations, the instructions transmitted to thekiosk may include route information to the delivery destination 142associated with an order for an instance of a food item. In someimplementations, such route information may include a single-deliveryroute and/or a multiple-delivery route for the kiosk 102 to traverse inorder to deliver one or more instances of food items to single deliverydestination 142 and/or to multiple delivery destinations 142,respectively. In some implementations, the information in 708 regardingthe delivery destinations 142 may be included in the same transmissionand/or set of transmission that included the information in 706regarding one or more food items to prepare and/or deliver.

At 710, the method 700 terminates, for example until invoked again.Alternatively, the method 700 may repeat continuously or repeatedly, ormay execute as multiple instances of a multi-threaded process.

FIG. 8 shows a method 800 of operating a multi-modal food preparationsystem 100 in which a kiosk 102 prepares and/or vends instances of fooditems and is replenished with one or more supplies, according to atleast one illustrated implementation. The method 800 can, for example,be executed by one or more processor-based devices, for instance thecontrol system 218 and/or the remote order processing system 208, andstarts at 802.

At 804, a processor-enabled device, such as, for example, the controlsystem 218 and/or the remote order processing system 208, may receive anorder for an instance of a food item contained within one of the foodpreparation units 104 in a kiosk 102. Such a kiosk 102 may be operatingin any one of the kiosk vending mode 110, the constellation mode, and/orcook en route mode 130. In some implementations, the processor-enableddevice may receive orders transmitted from one or more customerprocessor-based communications devices 112 (e.g., a smart phone 112 a ora tablet 112 b) directly to the processor-enabled device (e.g., theremote order processing unit 114, and/or the control system 218). Insome implementations, the processor-enabled device may receive ordersentered into a point-of-sale system 113 that may be incorporated into orcommunicatively coupled to the kiosk 102. In some implementations, aremote order processing unit 114 may receive orders for instances offood items from one or more consumers and transmit such orders via thewireless communications network (e.g., wireless communications network116) to the kiosk 102 via the wireless communication system 108.

At 806, a processor-enabled device, such as, for example, the controlsystem 218 and/or the remote order processing system 208, mayselectively raise and/or maintain a temperature within the foodpreparation unit 104 to heat and/or maintain the temperature of a fooditem contained within the food preparation unit 104. The warming of oneof the food preparation units 104 may be used to maintain a temperatureof an instance of a food item 106 held within the food preparation unit104. The heating of one of the food preparation units 104 may be used tocook an instance of a food item 106 held within the food preparationunit 104. In such instances, after the instance of the food item 106 iscooked, the associated food preparation unit 104 may change selectivelywarm the cooked food item 106 to maintain the temperature of the cookedfood item 106 unit is retrieved by a consumer.

At 808, the kiosk 102 and/or delivery vehicle 140 may vend the selectedfood item from the food preparation unit 104. In some implementations,the kiosk 102 may provide each customer with access to the appropriatefood preparation unit 104 when the customer arrives at the vendinglocation 118 and/or when the kiosk 102 and/or the delivery vehicle 140arrives at a delivery destination 142. In some implementations, theaccess may be provided, for example, by the customer entering an orderand/or identification code into a user interface that may beincorporated into the kiosk 102 and/or the delivery vehicle 140. In someinstances, for example, the consumer may access the appropriate foodpreparation unit 104 upon arriving at the vending location 118 byentering an order and/or identification code into a user interface thatmay be accessible via the mobile device (e.g., the smartphone 112 a)associated with the consumer. In some implementations, the customer mayenter the order and/or identification code into the user input device222 that may be accessible on a vending kiosk 202 and/or purchasingkiosk 204, which may be located at the vending location 118. In someinstances, the kiosk 102 may detect the presence of a device (e.g., thesmartphone 112 a) associated with the consumer at the vending location118 and provide access to the appropriate food preparation unit 104 inresponse.

At 810, the kiosk 102 may transmit information via a wirelesscommunication system 108 to an off-site processor-enabled device, suchas, for example, the replenishment server 126. Such information mayinclude, for example, such as, for example, the amount of supplies(e.g., instances of food items 106) currently available at the kiosk102, the number of instances of food items 106 the kiosk has vended, therate at which the kiosk 102 is using the supplies and/or vendinginstances of food items 106, the rate at which the kiosk 102 is expectedto use the supplies in the future, pending orders to be fulfilled by thekiosk 102, and/or a signal received from the kiosk 102 indicating a needfor replenishment of one or more supplies.

At 812, the kiosk may be replenished, such as, for example, by thevehicle 124. In some instances, in response to receiving suchinstructions, the vehicle 124 may be dispatched to the vending location118 to replenish the kiosk 102. Once the vehicle 124 reaches the vendinglocation 118, the kiosk 102 may receive replenishment from the vehicle124 based at least in part of the information received by thereplenishment server 126. In some instances, in response to receivingsuch instructions, the kiosk 102 may be dispatched to receivereplenishment at the replenishment location 144.

At 814, the method 800 terminates, for example until invoked again.Alternatively, the method 800 may repeat continuously or repeatedly, ormay execute as multiple instances of a multi-threaded process.

FIG. 9 shows a method 900 of operating a multi-modal food preparationsystem 100 in which the kiosk 102 is replenished with one or moresupplies, according to at least one illustrated implementation. Themethod 900 can, for example, be executed by one or more processor-baseddevices, for instance the remote order processing system 208 and/or thereplenishment server 126, and starts at 902.

At 904, a processor-enabled device, such as, for example, the remoteorder processing system 208 and/or the replenishment server 126, mayreceive information transmitted from the kiosk 102. Such information mayinclude, for example, such as, for example, the amount of supplies(e.g., instances of food items 106) currently available at the kiosk102, the number of instances of food items 106 the kiosk has vended, therate at which the kiosk 102 is using the supplies and/or vendinginstances of food items 106, the rate at which the kiosk 102 is expectedto use the supplies in the future, and/or a signal received from thekiosk 102 indicating a need for replenishment of one or more supplies.

At 906, a processor-enabled device, such as, for example, the remoteorder processing system 208 and/or the replenishment server 126, mayreceive information regarding pending orders to be processed by thekiosk 102. Such information may be received, for example, from the kiosk102 and/or from the remote order processing system 208. The pendingorder information may include, for example, the number of pending ordersfor the kiosk 102, the number of each type of food item 106 that iscurrently part of a pending order for the kiosk, the amount of time forthe kiosk 102 to prepare and fulfill each pending order, the quantity ofeach supply that will be needed to prepare and fulfill each pendingorder, an estimated time by which each pending order and/or the set ofpending orders will be completed, and/or an each pending order will bedelivered.

At 908, a processor-enabled device, such as, for example, the remoteorder processing system 208 and/or the replenishment server 126, maypredict future demand at the kiosk 102. For example, in someimplementations, the processor-enabled device may include a neuralnetwork 128 or other learning machine that may be used to predict futuredemand at the kiosk 102. Such a neural network 128 may receive some orall of the information listed above as inputs to determine futuredemand. In some implementations, the neural network 128 may use trainingdata in making such a calculation. Such training data may representactual demand for instances of the food item 106 from the kiosk 102 thatmay have been experienced at previous times at the same or similarlocations. As such, the neural network 128 may be able to take intoaccount information regarding the sales of instances of food items 106during specific days of the week, at a specific time and/or time range,during a special event, date, or holiday, and/or during one or moretypes of weather. The neural network 128 may use this training data topredict the demand for the instances of food items 106 in the future.

At 910, a processor-enabled device, such as, for example, the remoteorder processing system 208 and/or the replenishment server 126, maydispatch a vehicle 124 to replenish the kiosk 102 with one or moresupplies and/or food items.

At 912, the method 900 terminates, for example until invoked again.Alternatively, the method 900 may repeat continuously or repeatedly, ormay execute as multiple instances of a multi-threaded process.

FIG. 10 shows a method 1000 of operating a multi-modal food preparationsystem 100 in which instructions are transmitted to a vehicle 124 toreplenish a vending kiosk 102, according to at least one illustratedimplementation. The method 1000 can, for example, be executed by one ormore processor-based devices, for instance the control system 218, theremote order processing system 208, and/or the replenishment server 126,and starts at 1002.

At 1004, a processor-enabled device, such as, for example, the controlsystem 218, the remote order processing system 208, and/or thereplenishment server 126, may determine an amount of time to replenishthe kiosk 102 with one or more supplies and/or food items. Such adetermination of an estimated time to replenish one or more suppliesand/or food items at the kiosk 102 may be based, at least in part, onthe time to transfer the one or supplies and/or the instances of fooditems 106 from the vehicle 124 to the kiosk 102, and/or on the amount oftime for the vehicle 124 to travel to the location of the kiosk 102.

At 1006, a processor-enabled device, such as, for example, the controlsystem 218, the remote order processing system 208, and/or thereplenishment server 126, may determine the amount of time before thekiosk 102 exhausts one or more supplies and/or food items. Such adetermination may be based one or more factors, such as, for example,the amount of supplies (e.g., instances of food items 106) currentlyavailable at the kiosk 102, the number of instances of food items 106the kiosk has vended, the rate at which the kiosk 102 is using thesupplies and/or vending instances of food items 106, the rate at whichthe kiosk 102 is expected to use the supplies in the future, pendingorders to be fulfilled by the kiosk 102, and/or a signal received fromthe kiosk 102 indicating a need for replenishment of one or moresupplies. In some implementations, the determination of when the kiosk102 may exhaust one or more supplied and/or food items may take intoaccount information regarding the sales of instances of food items 106during specific days of the week, at a specific time and/or time range,during a special event, date, or holiday, and/or during one or moretypes of weather.

At 1008, a processor-enabled device, such as, for example, the controlsystem 218, the remote order processing system 208, and/or thereplenishment server 126, may transmit instructions to the vehicle 124to dispatch the vehicle 124 to replenish the kiosk 102. Suchinstructions may include, for example, the type of supplies to bereplenished, the amount of each supply to be replenished, and a routethat the vehicle 124 should take to the kiosk 102. In someimplementations, the instructions may be transmitted to the vehicle 124from one or more sources, such as, for example, the control system 218,the remote order processing system 208, and/or the replenishment server126, or some other remote server, via a wireless communications network116. Once the vehicle 124 reaches the vending location 118, the kiosk102 may receive replenishment from the vehicle 124 for the one or moresupplies and/or food items.

At 1010, the method 1000 terminates, for example until invoked again.Alternatively, the method 1000 may repeat continuously or repeatedly, ormay execute as multiple instances of a multi-threaded process.

FIG. 11 shows a method 1100 of operating a multi-modal food preparationsystem 100 in which instructions are transmitted to a kiosk 102 totravel to a replenishment location 144, according to at least oneillustrated implementation. The method 1100 can, for example, beexecuted by one or more processor-based devices, for instance thecontrol system 218, the remote order processing system 208, and/or thereplenishment server 126, and starts at 1102.

At 1104, a processor-enabled device, such as, for example, the controlsystem 218, the remote order processing system 208, and/or thereplenishment server 126, may determine an amount of time to replenishthe kiosk 102 with one or more supplies and/or food items. Such adetermination of an estimated time to replenish one or more suppliesand/or food items at the kiosk 102 may be based, at least in part, onthe time to transfer the one or supplies and/or the instances of fooditems 106 from the vehicle 124 to the kiosk 102, and/or on the amount oftime for the vehicle 124 to travel to the location of the kiosk 102.

At 1106, a processor-enabled device, such as, for example, the controlsystem 218, the remote order processing system 208, and/or thereplenishment server 126, may determine the amount of time before thekiosk 102 exhausts one or more supplies and/or food items. Such adetermination may be based one or more factors, such as, for example,the amount of supplies (e.g., instances of food items 106) currentlyavailable at the kiosk 102, the number of instances of food items 106the kiosk has vended, the rate at which the kiosk 102 is using thesupplies and/or vending instances of food items 106, the rate at whichthe kiosk 102 is expected to use the supplies in the future, pendingorders to be fulfilled by the kiosk 102, and/or a signal received fromthe kiosk 102 indicating a need for replenishment of one or moresupplies. In some implementations, the determination of when the kiosk102 may exhaust one or more supplied and/or food items may take intoaccount information regarding the sales of instances of food items 106during specific days of the week, at a specific time and/or time range,during a special event, date, or holiday, and/or during one or moretypes of weather.

At 1108, a processor-enabled device, such as, for example, the controlsystem 218, the remote order processing system 208, and/or thereplenishment server 126, may generate instructions to the kiosk 102 tocause the kiosk 102 to travel to the replenishment location 144. Abuilding (e.g., a warehouse) or a vehicle (e.g., a delivery vehicle) maybe at the replenishment location 144 and may hold one or more suppliesthat may be used to replenish the kiosk 102. The instructions receivedby the kiosk 102 may include, for example, the type of supplies to bereplenished, the amount of each supply to be replenished, and a routethat the kiosk 102 should take. In some implementations, theinstructions may be transmitted to the kiosk 102 from one or moresources, such as, for example, the remote order processing system 208,the replenishment server 126, and/or some other remote server, via awireless communications network 116. In response to receiving suchinstructions, the kiosk 102 may proceed along a replenishment route(e.g., the second replenishment route 132 b) as indicated by theinstructions to travel to the replenishment location 144. In someimplementations, the replenishment route may be determined by the remoteorder processing system 208, replenishment server 126, and/or by athird-party server, and transmitted to the kiosk 102.

At 1110, the method 1100 terminates, for example until invoked again.Alternatively, the method 1100 may repeat continuously or repeatedly, ormay execute as multiple instances of a multi-threaded process.

FIG. 12 shows a schematic, block diagram of a processor-enabled device1200, such as the control system 218, the remote order processing system208, and/or the replenishment server 126. The processor-enabled device1200 may take the form of any current or future developed computingsystem capable of executing one or more instruction sets. Theprocessor-enabled device 1200 includes a processing unit 1202, a systemmemory 1204, and a system bus 1206 that communicably couples varioussystem components including the system memory 1204 to the processingunit 1202. The processor-enabled device 1200 will at times be referredto in the singular herein, but this is not intended to limit theembodiments to a single system, since in certain embodiments, there willbe more than one system or other networked computing device involved.Non-limiting examples of commercially available systems include, but arenot limited to, an Atom, Pentium, or 80×86 architecture microprocessoras offered by Intel Corporation, a Snapdragon processor as offered byQualcomm, Inc., a PowerPC microprocessor as offered by IBM, a Sparcmicroprocessor as offered by Sun Microsystems, Inc., a PA-RISC seriesmicroprocessor as offered by Hewlett-Packard Company, an A6 or A8 seriesprocessor as offered by Apple Inc., or a 68xxx series microprocessor asoffered by Motorola Corporation.

The processing unit 1202 may be any logic processing unit, such as oneor more central processing units (CPUs), microprocessors, digital signalprocessors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs),field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic controllers(PLCs), etc. Unless described otherwise, the construction and operationof the various blocks shown in FIG. 12 are of conventional design. As aresult, such blocks need not be described in further detail herein, asthey will be understood by those skilled in the relevant art.

The system bus 1206 can employ any known bus structures orarchitectures, including a memory bus with memory controller, aperipheral bus, and a local bus. The system memory 1204 includesread-only memory (“ROM”) 1208 and random access memory (“RAM”) 1210. Abasic input/output system (“BIOS”) 1212, which can form part of the ROM1208, contains basic routines that help transfer information betweenelements within the processor-enabled device 1200, such as duringstart-up. Some embodiments may employ separate buses for data,instructions and power.

The processor-enabled device 1200 also includes one or more internalnontransitory storage systems 1214. Such internal nontransitory storagesystems 1214 may include, but are not limited to, any current or futuredeveloped persistent storage device 1216. Such persistent storagedevices 1216 may include, without limitation, magnetic storage devicessuch as hard disc drives, electromagnetic storage devices such asmemristors, molecular storage devices, quantum storage devices,electrostatic storage devices such as solid state drives, and the like.

The processor-enabled device 1200 may also include one or more optionalremovable nontransitory storage systems 1218. Such removablenontransitory storage systems 1218 may include, but are not limited to,any current or future developed removable persistent storage device1220. Such removable persistent storage devices 1220 may include,without limitation, magnetic storage devices, electromagnetic storagedevices such as memristors, molecular storage devices, quantum storagedevices, and electrostatic storage devices such as secure digital (“SD”)drives, USB drives, memory sticks, or the like.

The one or more internal nontransitory storage systems 1214 and the oneor more optional removable nontransitory storage systems 1218communicate with the processing unit 1202 via the system bus 1206. Theone or more internal nontransitory storage systems 1214 and the one ormore optional removable nontransitory storage systems 1218 may includeinterfaces or device controllers (not shown) communicably coupledbetween nontransitory storage system and the system bus 1206, as isknown by those skilled in the relevant art. The nontransitory storagesystems 1214, 1218, and their associated storage devices 1216, 1220provide nonvolatile storage of computer-readable instructions, datastructures, program modules and other data for the processor-enableddevice 1200. Those skilled in the relevant art will appreciate thatother types of storage devices may be employed to store digital dataaccessible by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memorycards, RAMs, ROMs, smart cards, etc.

Program modules can be stored in the system memory 1204, such as anoperating system 1222, one or more application programs 1224, otherprograms or modules 1226, drivers 1228 and program data 1230.

The application programs 1224 may include, for example, one or moremachine executable instruction sets (i.e., mode module 1224 a) capableof providing instructions to one or more kiosks 102 to transitionbetween the kiosk vending mode 110, the constellation mode 120, and/orthe cook en route mode 130. The application programs 1224 may furtherinclude one or more machine executable instructions sets (i.e., cookingmodule 1224 b) capable of outputting queuing and cooking instructions tothe kiosks 102 and/or delivery vehicles 140. In some implementations,the application programs 1224 may include one or more machine executableinstruction sets (i.e., replenishment module 1224 c) capable ofdetermining a time and/or time range during which one or more suppliesand/or food items in a kiosk 102 may be replenished by a vehicle 124and/or by traveling to a replenishment location 144.

In some embodiments, the processor-enabled device 1200 operates in anenvironment using one or more of the network interfaces 1232 tooptionally communicably couple to one or more remote computers, servers,display devices, such as the remote order processing system 208, thereplenishment server 126, and/or other devices via one or morecommunications channels, for example, one or more networks such as thecommunications network 234. These logical connections may facilitate anyknown method of permitting computers to communicate, such as through oneor more LANs and/or WANs. Such networking environments are well known inwired and wireless enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets,extranets, and the Internet.

FIGS. 13A-13C show a vending kiosk 1300, according to at least oneillustrated embodiment.

The vending kiosk 1300 includes a housing 1302 and a plurality ofvending compartments 1304 a, 1304 b-1304 n (twenty-four shown, threecalled out, collectively 1304). The vending kiosk 1300 may be fixed at alocation, for instance physically secured to the ground or a building orother structure, or secured by weight. Alternatively, the vending kiosk1300 may be mobile, having one or more wheels, tracks, treads, etc., andpropulsion source (e.g., electric motor, internal combustion engine),for example as in the previously described implementations.

Each of the vending compartments 1304 has an associated front orcustomer-facing door 1306 and a back or service door 1308. The front orcustomer-facing door 1306 is readily accessible by a customer from anexterior of the vending kiosk 1300. The back or service door 1308 doesnot need to be, and typically is not, readily accessible by a customerfrom an exterior 1309 of the vending kiosk 1300, although it may bepossible for the customer to touch the back or service door 1308 oncethe customer gains access to an interior 1310 (only one shown in FIG.13A) of the respective compartment. The front or customer-facing doors1306 are operable to selectively provide and deny access to an interior1310 of the vending compartments 1304 from the exterior 1309 of thevending kiosk 1300. The rear or service doors 1306 are operable toselectively provide and deny access to an interior 1310 of the vendingcompartments 1304 from an exterior thereof, and typically from aninterior 1312 (FIG. 13C) of the vending kiosk 1300.

As best illustrated in FIG. 13B, the vending kiosk 1300 includes acustomer or user interface 1314, typically accessible from the exterior1309 of the vending kiosk 1300. The customer or user interface 1314provides input and, or output to customers or other users. The customeror user interface 1314 may include any one or more of a display 1314 a,keypad or keyboard 1314 b, near field communications radio and antenna1314 c, magnetic stripe reader or chip reader 1314 d, camera 1314 e,bill validator, coin slot, etc. Such allows the vending kiosk 1300 torecognize a customer or other user or otherwise implement a transaction.For example, the near field communications radio and antenna 1314 c maydetect and recognize an electronic device (e.g., smartphone) associatedwith a customer who previously placed an order, and who has arrived atthe vending kiosk 1300 to pick up the order. Also for example, the nearfield communications radio and antenna 1314 c may interact with anelectronic device (e.g., smartphone) to receive an order and then tocomplete a purchase transaction with a customer who is currently at thevending kiosk 1300 to place the order. Also for example, the display1314 a (e.g., via a graphical user interface) and, or keypad or keyboard1314 b may be used to receive an order, or to receive information thatidentifies a customer who has arrived at the vending kiosk 1300 to pickup a previously placed order. The customer may, for instance, enter anidentifier or PIN. Also for example, the camera 1314 e may capture oneor more images to implement a purchase transaction or identify acustomer who has arrived at the vending kiosk 1300 to pick up apreviously placed order. The camera may, for instance, capture an imageof a machine-readable symbol (e.g., two-dimensional symbol, barcodesymbol) displayed via a display of an electronic device (e.g.,smartphone) associated with the customer who placed the order. Thecamera may, also for instance, capture an image of a face or iris of thecustomer who placed the order, and perform facial or iris recognitionfor a customer who has arrived at the vending kiosk 1300 to pick up.Other forms of biometric authentication can be employed via varioussensors, for instance finger-print recognition. Also for example, themagnetic stripe reader or chip reader 1314 d may read information from afinancial medium (e.g., credit card, debit card, gift card) to implementa purchase transaction. Also for example, the bill or currency validatoror coin slot (not shown) may be used to implement a purchasetransaction.

As best illustrated in FIG. 13B, the vending kiosk 1300 includes anaccess (e.g., supply doorway 1316 and supply door 1318) that provideaccess to load items (e.g., prepared food items, ingredients, otheritems) into the vending kiosk 1300. The supply door 1318 may, forexample take the form of a rollup door, as illustrated, or may take anyother form of door, for instance a door that pivots on hinges, or a doorthat slides. A rollup door advantageously reduces the overall footprintrequired for the vending kiosk 1300 and servicing of the same.

As best illustrated in FIG. 13B, a supply rack 1320 may be used to loaditems (e.g., prepared food items, ingredients, other items) into thevending kiosk 1300. For example, the supply doorway 1316 may be sized toreceive all or a portion of the supply rack 1320 therethrough, forinstance to position the supply rack 1320 in a refrigerated supply area1322 (FIG. 3C) of the vending kiosk 1300.

As best illustrated in FIG. 13C, the supply rack 1320 may include one ormore, compartments or trays 1322 (only one called out), each of whichcan hold one or more prepared food items, ingredients, other items. Thecompartments or trays 1322 may, or may not, have respective doorwaysand, or doors, which are operable to selectively provide and deny accessto an interior of the compartment or trays 1322 from an exteriorthereof. The supply rack 1320 may, in at least some implementations,itself provide a refrigerated interior environment, for example havingone or more compressors or air conditioners, and walls, floor andceiling of the supply rack may be thermally insulated. In at least someimplementations, the supply rack 1320 may at least in all or in part,rely on an air condition environment of the vending kiosk 1300 to coolthe contents of the supply rack 1320.

In some implementations, the supply rack 1320 includes one or moremechanisms selectively operable to at least partially eject the contentsof the compartment or trays. For example, each compartment or tray mayinclude a conveyor (e.g., conveyor belt) 1324 (only one called out),peel, paddle, or pusher bar, and an actuator (e.g., electric motor orsolenoid) drivingly coupled with, or without a transmission, to causemovement of the conveyor (e.g., conveyor belt) 1324, peel, paddle, orpusher bar.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 13B and 13C, the vending kiosk 1300 mayinclude one or more input transport elevators 1326 that are operable totransport the contents (e.g., prepared food items, ingredients, otheritems) from the compartments or trays 1322 of the supply rack 1320 toone or more cooking units (e.g., ovens) 1328 (FIG. 13C). The inputtransport elevators 1326 may include one or more conveyors 1330 (e.g.,conveyor belt 1330 a and electric motor 1330 b drivingly coupled to theconveyor belt 1330 a), peels, trays, etc., operable to transfer thecontents of the compartments or trays 1322 of the supply rack 1320 tothe cooking unit(s) (e.g., oven(s)) 1328, for example along a first axis(e.g., horizontal axis) 1332. The input transport elevators 1326 mayinclude one or more conveyors 1334 are positionable to closely locate orposition a first end thereof proximate or adjacent the compartment ortrays 1322 of the supply rack 1320 or proximate or adjacent conveyors orejection mechanisms 1324 of the supply rack 1320. The actual spacing maydepend on the type (e.g., dough, crust, rigid, flaccid) and, or state(e.g., raw, cooked, gelled) of the object to be transferred, as well asa size (e.g., length) and, or weight) of the object to be transferred.The input transport elevators 1326 may include one or more rails and,or, transmissions (e.g., chain drive, belt drive) 1334 a and motors 1334b coupled to move the conveyor(s) 1330 a along a second axis (e.g.,vertical axis) 1336, different from the first axis 1332. Alternativelyor additionally, the vending kiosk 1300 or the supply rack 1320 mayinclude one or more robotic appendages and actuators (e.g., electricmotor or solenoid) operable to transport the contents (e.g., preparedfood items, ingredients, other items) from the compartments or trays1322 of the supply rack 1320 to one or more cooking units (e.g., ovens)1328.

As best illustrated in FIG. 13C the vending kiosk 1300 includes the oneor more cooking units 1328, for instance one or more ovens. The cookingunit(s) 1328 may take any of a variety of forms. As used herein the term“cooking units” 1328 includes any device for the partial or completecooking of one or more food products. Additionally, while the term“oven” may be used interchangeably with the term “cooking unit” herein,such usage should not limit the applicability of the systems and methodsdescribed herein to only foods which can be prepared in an oven. Forexample, one or more burners, either gas or electric or inductive, a hotskillet surface or griddle, a deep fryer, a microwave oven, rice cooker,sous vide cooker, and/or toaster can be considered a “cooking unit” thatis included within the scope of the systems, methods, and apparatusesdescribed herein. Some implementations may employ other types of foodpreparation units in addition to, or in place of cooking units, forexample other types of equipment used to prepare food items, such asequipment related to cooled or chilled foods, such as may be used toprepare smoothies, frozen yogurt, ice cream, and beverages (e.g.,fountain beverages). Further, the food preparation unit may be able tocontrol more than temperature. For example, some food preparation unitsmay control pressure and/or humidity. Further, some food preparationunits may control airflow therein, thus able to operate in a convectivecooking mode if desired, for instance to decrease cooking time.

In the illustrated implementation, the cooking units 1328 are conveyorovens with a conveyor 1328 a that provides a transport path 1328 bthrough a cooking chamber 1328 c. The cooking unit 1328 is open atopposed ends of the transport path 1328 b. The cooking units 1328includes one or more heating elements 1328 d, which can take any of alarge variety of forms, and can be located in any of a large variety oflocations.

The one or more conveyors 1320 a of the input transport elevators 1326are positionable to closely locate or position a second end thereofproximate or adjacent the cooking units 1328 or proximate or adjacentconveyors or ingress mechanisms 1328 a of the cooking units 1328. Theactual spacing may depend on the type (e.g., dough, crust, rigid,flaccid) and, or state (e.g., raw, cooked, gelled) of the object to betransferred, as well as a size (e.g., length) and, or weight) of theobject to be transferred.

As best illustrated in FIG. 13C, the vending kiosk 1300 may include oneor more output transport elevators 1330 that are operable to transportthe contents (e.g., prepared food items, ingredients, other items) fromthe one or more cooking units (e.g., ovens) 1328 to the compartments1304 of the vending kiosk 1300. The output transport elevators 1330 mayinclude one or more conveyors (e.g., conveyor belt 1330 a and electricmotor 1330 b drivingly coupled to the conveyor belt 1330 a), peels,trays, etc., operable to transfer the contents of the cooking unit(s)(e.g., oven(s)) 1328 to the compartments 1304 of the vending kiosk 1300,for example along a first axis (e.g., horizontal axis) 1332. The outputtransport elevators 1330 may include one or more rails and, or,transmissions (e.g., chain drive, belt drive) 1330 c and motors 1330 dcoupled to move the conveyor(s) 1330 a along a second axis (e.g.,vertical axis) 1334, different from the first axis 1332. The outputtransport elevators 1330 may include one or more conveyors 1330 a thatare positionable to closely locate or position a first end thereofproximate or adjacent the cooking units 1328 or proximate or adjacentconveyors or ingress mechanisms 1328 a of the cooking units 1328. Theactual spacing may depend on the type (e.g., dough, crust, rigid,flaccid) and, or state (e.g., raw, cooked, gelled) of the object to betransferred, as well as a size (e.g., length) and, or weight) of theobject to be transferred. The one or more conveyors 1330 a of the outputtransport elevators 1330 are positionable to closely locate or positiona second end thereof proximate or adjacent the compartments 1304 of thevending kiosk 1300 or adjacent conveyors or ingress mechanisms, if any,of the compartments 1304 of the vending kiosk 1300. The actual spacingmay depend on the type (e.g., dough, crust, rigid, flaccid) and, orstate (e.g., raw, cooked, gelled) of the object to be transferred, aswell as a size (e.g., length) and, or weight of the object to betransferred. Alternatively or additionally, the vending kiosk 1300 orthe supply rack 1320 may include one or more robotic appendages andactuators (e.g., electric motor or solenoid) operable to transport thecontents (e.g., prepared food items, ingredients, other items) from theone or more cooking units (e.g., ovens) 1328 to the compartments 1304 ofthe vending kiosk 1300. While not shown, the vending kiosk 1300 caninclude one or more exhaust ducts, and optionally fans, operable toexhaust smoke and, or, waste heat generated by the cooking units 1328from the vending kiosk 1300.

The vending kiosk 1300 may include thermal insulation 1336, for exampleseparating the cooking units from the air conditioned area. The thermalinsulation 1336 may surround a portion or all of the air conditionedarea 1322. Thermal insulation 1336 may additionally, or alternativelysurround all or a portion of the cooking units 1328. Thermal insulation1336 may additionally, or alternatively surround all or a portion of thecompartments 1304 of the vending kiosk 1300. The thermal insulation 1336may take a variety of forms including, for example, fiberglass batten,vacuum.

The vending kiosk 1300 may include a refrigeration system 1338, forexample one or more compressors, reservoirs, condensation coil(collectively 1338 a) and, or heat exchanger. The refrigeration systemmay include one or more ducts 1338 b coupled to dispense cooled orrefrigerated air into the air conditioned or refrigerated area 1322. Therefrigeration system 1338 may include one or more ducts (not shown)coupled to dispense warm or waste air into the exterior 1309 (FIG. 13A)from the vending kiosk 1300.

The implementation illustrated and described with respect to FIGS.13A-13C advantageously isolates the compartments 1304 of the vendingkiosk 1300 from the cooking units 1328. Such can be a significantimprovement in safety, preventing customers from accidently coming intocontact with hot surfaces of a cooking unit (e.g., oven) 1328.Additionally, one or more surfaces of the compartments 1304 of thevending kiosk 1300 may be thermally insulated from the cooking unit(s)1328 to ensure that the portions of the compartments 1304 that acustomer or other user might touch will be sufficiently cool as to avoiddamage to the skin or even avoid damage to garments worn by the customeror other user.

The vending kiosk can include of a first set of latches or locks 1340(only one latch or lock called out) that selectively latch/unlatch orlock/unlock the front or customer-facing door 1306 and a second set oflatches or locks 1342 (only one latch or lock called out) thatselectively latch/unlatch or lock/unlock the back or service door 1308.The latches or locks 1340, 1342 may, for example, take the form of pins,hooks, rods, magnets, and complimentary apertures and actuators (e.g.,solenoids, r electric motors, electromagnets, relays) coupled to drivethe pins, hooks, rods, or magnets.

The vending kiosk 1300 can include one or more hardware processor-basedcontrol systems 1344 (e.g., circuitry, integrated circuit) of thevending kiosk 1300, which can execute logic or processor-executableinstructions. The processor-based control system 1344 can include one ormore processors, for example one or more of: one or more microprocessors1344 a with one or more cores, one or more microcontrollers, one or moreapplication specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more fieldprogrammable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more graphic processor units1344 b, etc. The processor-based control system 1344 can include one ormore computer- or processor-readable media (e.g., volatile memory,non-volatile memory, spinning media such as magnetic hard disks, opticaldisks), for example one or more of: one or more read only memories (ROM)1344 c, one or more random access memories (RAM) 1344 d, one or moreFlash memories 1344 e, etc. The processor-based control system 1344 caninclude one or more motor controllers 1344 f, operable to convertinstructions from the processors 1344 a, 1344 b into signals to driveone or more motors or solenoids. The processor-based control system 1344can include one or more motor controllers 1344 g, operable to convertinstructions from the processors 1344 a, 1344 b into signals to driveone or more latches or locks (e.g., solenoids). The processor-basedcontrol system 1344 can include one or more communications interfaces1344 h, for example one or more radios and associated antennas, and, orhardwired communications ports, to provide communications between thevending kiosk 1300 and devices external therefrom.

In particular, the vending kiosk 1300 is operable to ensure that thefront or customer-facing door 1306 and any given vending compartment1304 is only unlatched or unlocked or opened when the back or servicedoor 1308 or the same respective vending compartment 1304 is latched,locked, or closed. This can ensure that a customer or other user cannotreach into the area in which the cooking units 1328 (e.g., ovens), oreven into the area in which the output elevator 1330 is positioned, froman exterior 1309 (FIG. 13A) of the vending kiosk 1300. The vending kiosk1300, for example the hardware processor-based control system 1344(e.g., circuitry, integrated circuit) of the vending kiosk 1300 canexecute logic that checks a state (e.g., represented via a flag storedin a memory or register) of a latch or lock 1342 for the back or servicedoor 1308 of a given vending compartment 1304, and only unlatches,unlocks, or opens the latch or lock 1340 of the front or customer-facingdoor 1306 of the given vending compartment 1304 if the state of the backor service door 1308 or associated latch or lock 1342 for the givenvending compartment 1304 is latched, locked or closed.

Alternatively or additionally, the vending kiosk 1300 can include one ormore sensors that detect various conditions or states or positions ofthe front or customer-facing doors 1306, back or service doors 1308,and, or latches or locks 1340 associated with the front orcustomer-facing doors 1306 and, or latches or locks 1342 associated withthe back or service doors 1308, or even with the interiors of thecompartments. For example, one or more sensors can detect whether adoor, latch or lock is locked, latched, closed, or alternativelyunlatched, unlocked or open. For example, one or more sensors can detectwhether a given compartment is empty or full, or unoccupied or occupied.Also for example, one or more sensors can detect whether a body part isin the compartment, touching a wall or door, or is proximate the door.Suitable sensors include contact switches 1346 a (only two shown, onlyone called out), image sensors (e.g., digital cameras) 1346 b, 1346 c,passive infrared motion sensors 1346 d (only one called out), Reedswitches, weight sensors or load cells 1346 e (only one called out),metal detectors 1346 g, and, or, temperature sensors or thermocouples1346 f (only one called out).

The vending kiosk 1300, for example a hardware processor (e.g.,circuitry, integrated circuit) of the vending kiosk 1300, can executelogic that unlatches, unlocks, or opens the front or customer-facingdoor 1306 of a given vending compartment 1304 if all of a set ofconditions are met. For example, a baseline condition may be that theback or service door 1308 is latched, locked or closed. An additionalcondition may be that the vending compartment 1304 contains a food item.An additional condition, in addition to one or more of the above, may bethat a customer or transaction has been recognized, for example viainput of a code or personal identification number (PIN) which isverified, receipt or detection of biometric data (e.g., fingerprint,iris scan, facial scan) which is verified, a pairing with an electronicdevice or recognition thereof (e.g., exchange of a one-time use token).An additional condition, in addition to one or more of the above, may bethat the food item in a given vending compartment 1304 is sufficientlycool for the customer to handle such without causing bodily harm. Anadditional condition, in addition to one or more of the above, may bethat the front or customer-facing door 1306 and, or interior surfaces ofthe given vending compartment 1304 are sufficiently cool for thecustomer to come into contact with such without resulting in bodilyharm. An additional condition, in addition to one or more of the above,may be that there is sufficient clearance for the front orcustomer-facing door 1306 to open. An additional condition, in additionto one or more of the above, may be that there is sufficient clearancefor the back or service door 1308 to open.

FIG. 14 shows a set or gang 1428 of cooking units (e.g., ovens) 1428a-1428 f according to at least one illustrated embodiment. The cookingunits (e.g., ovens) 1428 a-1428 f are suitable for use in the vendingkiosk 1300 of FIGS. 13A-13C.

Each cooking unit 1428 a-1428 f may include a housing 1450 (one calledout), and a heating element 1452 (one called out). The heating element1452 can take any of a large variety of forms, for instance resistanceheating elements driven via electrical current, gas heating elements,inductive heating elements, etc. In the illustrated implementation, thecooking units 1428 a-1428 f are conveyor ovens with a conveyor 1454(only one called out) that provides a transport path through a cookingchamber 1456 (only one called out). The conveyor oven is open at opposedends of the transport path. While shown ganged together, the cookingunits (only one called out) can in some implementations be separate fromeach other, and even spaced apart from each other.

FIG. 15 shows a cooking unit (e.g., an oven) 1528 and transmission 1560,where the cooking unit 1528 is translatable along two different axes1562, 1564 according to at least one illustrated embodiment. The cookingunits (e.g., ovens) 1528 are suitable for use in the vending kiosk 1300of FIGS. 13A-13C.

The transmission 1560 may include a first transmission operable to movethe cooking unit along a first axis (e.g., horizontal axis). The firsttransmission may include one or more supports, drive belts, chains,pulleys, cables, rods, rails, wheels, gears (collectively 1560 a),actuators 1560 b (e.g., electric motor, electric stepper motor,solenoid). The transmission 1560 may include a second transmissionoperable to move the cooking unit 1528 along a second axis (e.g.,vertical axis) 1562, different from the first axis 1562. The secondtransmission may include one or more supports, drive belts, chains,pulleys, cables, rods, rails, wheels, gears (collectively 1560 c),actuators 1560 d (e.g., electric motor, electric stepper motor,solenoid). The second transmission may be coupled to move the firsttransmission, and hence the cooking unit 1528 that is also moved by thefirst transmission. While illustrated as a single cooling unit 1528, thetransmission can move one, two or even more cooking units as a set,group, or gang of cooking units 1428 (FIG. 14).

FIGS. 16A-16B show a vending compartment 1600 at four successive periodsof time or instances, according to at least one illustratedimplementation. The vending compartment 1600 is suitable for use in thevending kiosks of various implementations described herein. For example,the vending compartment 1600 can be used with any implementation ofFIGS. 1A-1C, 2, 3A, 4A, 4B. Also for example, the vending compartment1600 can be used with any implementation of FIGS. 13A-13C, and may allowthe omission of one or more elevators (e.g., output transport elevators1330) or other conveyors. Any vending kiosk can include one or more ofthe vending compartment 1600, for instance organized or structured in atwo-dimensional array.

Each vending compartment 1600 includes a first receptacle 1602 and asecond receptacle 1604.

The first receptacle 1602 comprises at least one wall 1606 that at leastpartially delimits an interior 1608 of the first receptacle 1602. Afront 1610 of the first receptacle 1602 has a front opening 1612 thatprovides access into the interior 1608 of the first receptacle 1602 fromthe front 1610 of the first receptacle 1602. The first receptacle 1602has a rear 1614 with at least a rear opening 1616 (FIG. 18) thatprovides access into the interior 1608 of the first receptacle 1602 fromthe rear 1614 of the first receptacle 1602.

The second receptacle 1604 comprises at least one wall 1622 that atleast partially delimits an interior 1624 of the second receptacle 1604.The second receptacle 1604 has a front 1626 with a front opening 1628that provides access into the interior 1624 of the second receptacle1604 from the front 1628 of the second receptacle 1604. The secondreceptacle 1604 has a top 1630 with a top opening 1632 that providesaccess into the interior 1624 of the second receptacle 1604 from the top1630 of the second receptacle 1604.

The second receptacle 1604 has a moveable tray 1634 that is moveablewith respect to the at least one wall 1622 of the second receptacle 1604between a raised position 1636 (FIG. 16A) and a lowered position 1638(FIGS. 16C and 16D). In raised position 1636 (FIG. 16A) the tray 1634 isat least proximate the top 1630 of the second receptacle 1604, allowingan item (e.g., food item, prepared food item) to be transferred to thetray 1634. In the lowered position 1638 (FIGS. 16C and 16D) the tray1634 is at least proximate a bottom 1640 (FIG. 16A) of the secondreceptacle 1604, which vertically positions the item (e.g., food item,prepared food item) to be movable into the interior 1608 of the firstreceptacle 1604.

As illustrated by the sequence, the second receptacle 1604 is moveablewith respect to the first receptacle 1602 between a withdrawn position1642 (FIGS. 16A-16C) and an inserted position 1644 (FIG. 16D). In theinserted position 1644 (FIG. 16D), the second receptacle 1604predominately extends into the interior 1698 of the first receptacle1602 with the front opening 1628 of the second receptacle 1604 at leastproximate the front opening 1612 of the first receptacle 1602,positioning the item (e.g., food item, prepared food item) on the tray1634 to be retrievable from the interior 1608 of the first receptacle1602 by a customer or other user. In the withdrawn position 1642 (FIG.16A) the second receptacle 1604 is predominately withdrawn from theinterior 1608 of the first receptacle 1602 with the front opening 1628of the second receptacle 1604 spaced inwardly away from the frontopening 1612 of the first receptacle 1602 as compared to the insertedposition 1644.

FIG. 17 illustrates that each vending compartment 1600 any include, ormay be coupled to, at least one horizontal transmission 1702 operable tomove the second receptacles 1604 (FIGS. 16A-16D) between the insertedand the withdrawn positions 1644, 1642. The horizontal transmission 1702may include a rack 1702 a and pinion 1702 b, gears, rails, wheels,bearings, drive belt, toothed drive belt, cable, and an actuator (e.g.,electric motor, stepper motor 1702 c, solenoid, pneumatic or hydraulicpiston and cylinder along with reservoir of fluid and valves).

FIG. 17 also illustrates that each vending compartment 1600 may include,or may be coupled to, at least one vertical transmission 1704 operableto move the trays 1634 (FIGS. 16A-16D) between the raised and thelowered positions 1636, 1638. The vertical transmission 1704 may includea rack and pinion, gears, rails, wheels, bearings, drive belt 1704 a,1704 b, toothed drive belt, cable, pulleys 1704 c, 1704 d and anactuator (e.g., electric motor 1704 e, stepper motor, solenoid,pneumatic or hydraulic piston and cylinder along with reservoir of fluidand valves).

FIG. 18 shows a vending kiosk 1800 that includes a plurality of vendingcompartments 1600 a-1600 d (only four shown, collectively 1600),according to at least one illustrated implementation. Many of thecomponents are similar, or even identical, to components and structuresdiscussed with reference to FIGS. 13A-13B. Similar or identical elementsare identified in FIG. 18 with the same reference numbers as in FIG.13A. Only some of the significant differences are given are discussedbelow and new reference numbers.

The vending kiosk 1800 includes a plurality of customer-facing doors1306 a-1396 d (only four shown, collectively 1306), each of thecustomer-facing doors 1306 movable between a first position (seecustomer-facing doors 1306 b-1306 d) which prevents access to theinterior of the first and the second receptacles 1602, 1604 of arespective one of the vending compartments 1600 from an exterior of thevending kiosk 1800 and a second position (see customer-facing door 1306a) which allows access to the interior 1608, 1624 of the first and thesecond receptacles 1602, 1604, respectively, of the respective one ofthe vending compartments 1600 from the exterior of the vending kiosk1800 (FIG. 18).

In some implementations, a first plurality of latches 428, 432 (FIGS.4A, 4B), 1340 (FIG. 13C) are operable to alternatively latch and unlatchrespective ones of the customer-facing doors 1306. Once unlatched, thecustomer-facing doors 1306 may be manually opened by a customer.Alternatively, the customer-facing doors 1306 may be spring-loaded andopen automatically in response to unlatching. In some implementations, afirst plurality of motors or solenoids 1850 (one called out in FIG. 18)operable to open, close, or alternatively open and close respective onesof the customer-facing doors 1306. For example, an actuator (e.g.,stepper motor or solenoid) 1850 may be coupled directly, or indirectly(e.g., gears, cables, belts), to open and close the customer-facingdoors 1306. The stepper motor or solenoid 1850 may resist manual opening(e.g., via inertia, one-way clutch, relay), essentially locking thecustomer-facing doors 1306 when closed.

The at least one processor-based control system 1344 is communicativelycoupled to control the customer-facing doors 1306 and/or control thehorizontal and vertical 1702, 1704, for example by controlling thelatches 428, 432 (FIGS. 4A, 4B), 1340 (FIG. 13C), the motors orsolenoids 1850 in response to any one, more or a combination ofconditions or states as set out below.

For example, the at least one processor-based control system 1344unlatches or opens the customer-facing door 1306 of the respectivevending compartment only if the respective second receptacle 1604 is inthe inserted position.

Additionally or alternatively, the at least one processor-based controlsystem 1344 controls the horizontal transmission 1702 (FIG. 17) to movethe second receptacle 1604 from the withdrawn 1642 to the insertedposition 1644 only if the tray 1634 is in the lowered position 1638.Additionally or alternatively, the at least one processor-based controlsystem 1344 controls the vertical transmission 1704 (FIG. 17) to movethe tray 1634 from the raised position 1636 to the lowered position 1642if the tray holds an item. For instance, the at least oneprocessor-based control system 1344 may use information or data from oneor more sensors to determine whether there is an item present on thetray 1634, and, or whether the item, if present, has one or morecharacteristics consistent with, and not inconsistent with, a type ofitem that is expected to be in the tray 1634. For instance, a weightsensor or load cell can provide information that represents a weight ofthe tray 1634, and a tare weight can be used to determine i) whether anitem is carried by the tray 1634 and, or ii) a weight of that item. Theat least one processor-based control system 1344 can compare the weightof the tray 1634 or a difference between total weight and a tare weightwith an expected weight, determining whether the item is present and iswithin a range of an expected weight (e.g., weight of a fully loadedpizza). For instance, an image sensor (e.g., digital camera) can provideinformation that represents surface of the tray 1634 and any objectscarried thereby, and can be used by the at least one processor-basedcontrol system 1344 to determine i) whether an item is carried by thetray 1634 and, or whether an item carried by the tray 1634 resembles aphysical appearance of an expected item. Such can even be used tomaintain quality control, for example assessing a distribution oftoppings on a pizza, or a level of cooking. Alternatively, a PIR motiondetector or a height detector can be used to assess the contents of aninterior of the vending compartment. Even a simple electronic eye (e.g.,LED and photo-diode pair) can be employed to determine whether thevending compartment is full or empty.

Additionally or alternatively, the at least one processor-based controlsystem 1344 controls the vertical transmission 1704 (FIG. 17) to movethe tray 1634 (FIGS. 16A-16D) from the lowered position 1638 to raisedposition 1636 after an item has been removed from the respective vendingcompartment 1600. For instance, the at least one processor-based controlsystem 1344 controls the vertical transmission to move the tray 1634from the lowered position 1638 to raised position 1636 in response to arespective customer-facing door 1306 closing after an item has beenremoved from the respective vending compartment 1600.

Additionally or alternatively, the at least one processor-based controlsystem 1344 unlatches or opens the customer-facing door 1306 of therespective vending compartment 1600 only if a customer or a transactionhas been recognized. For instance, the at least one processor-basedcontrol system 1344 sends signals that unlatches or opens thecustomer-facing door 1306 of the respective vending compartment only ifan input code is verified. Also for instance, the at least oneprocessor-based control system 1344 unlatches or opens thecustomer-facing door 1306 of the respective vending compartment 1600only if detected biometric data has been verified. Also for instance,the at least one processor-based control system 1344 unlatches or opensthe customer-facing door 1306 of the respective vending compartment 1600only if a pairing with an electronic device or recognition thereofoccurs.

Additionally or alternatively, the at least one processor-based controlsystem 1344 unlatches or opens the customer-facing door 1306 of therespective vending compartment 1600 only if the respective vendingcompartment 1600 is at or below a defined temperature that issufficiently cool for the customer to handle such without causing bodilyharm. Additionally or alternatively, the at least one processor-basedcontrol system 1344 unlatches or opens the customer-facing door 1306 ofthe respective vending compartment 1600 only if a food item in therespective vending compartment 1600 is at or below a defined temperaturethat is sufficiently cool for the customer to handle such withoutcausing bodily harm. Additionally or alternatively, the at least oneprocessor-based control system 1344 unlatches or opens thecustomer-facing door 1306 of the respective vending compartment 1600only if all of the interior surfaces of the respective vendingcompartment 1600 is at or below a defined temperature that issufficiently cool for the customer to handle such without causing bodilyharm.

Additionally or alternatively, the at least one processor-based controlsystem 1344 unlatches or opens the customer-facing door 1306 of therespective vending compartment 1600 only if there is a sufficientclearance for the customer-facing door to open.

The vending kiosk 1800 may include any one, two, more, or all of thesensors illustrated in FIGS. 13A-13C and described with respect thereto.

Various embodiments of the devices and/or processes via the use of blockdiagrams, schematics, and examples have been set forth herein. Insofaras such block diagrams, schematics, and examples contain one or morefunctions and/or operations, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art that each function and/or operation within such block diagrams,flowcharts, or examples can be implemented, individually and/orcollectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, orvirtually any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the presentsubject matter may be implemented via Application Specific IntegratedCircuits (ASICs). However, those skilled in the art will recognize thatthe embodiments disclosed herein, in whole or in part, can beequivalently implemented in standard integrated circuits, as one or morecomputer programs running on one or more computers (e.g., as one or moreprograms running on one or more computer systems), as one or moreprograms running on one or more controllers (e.g., microcontrollers) asone or more programs running on one or more processors (e.g.,microprocessors), as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof,and that designing the circuitry and/or writing the code for thesoftware and or firmware would be well within the skill of one ofordinary skill in the art in light of this disclosure.

When logic is implemented as software and stored in memory, one skilledin the art will appreciate that logic or information, can be stored onany computer readable medium for use by or in connection with anycomputer and/or processor related system or method. In the context ofthis document, a memory is a computer readable medium that is anelectronic, magnetic, optical, or other another physical device or meansthat contains or stores a computer and/or processor program. Logicand/or the information can be embodied in any computer readable mediumfor use by or in connection with an instruction execution system,apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system,processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch theinstructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or deviceand execute the instructions associated with logic and/or information.In the context of this specification, a “computer readable medium” canbe any means that can store, communicate, propagate, or transport theprogram associated with logic and/or information for use by or inconnection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, and/ordevice. The computer readable medium can be, for example, but notlimited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared,or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. Morespecific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readablemedium would include the following: an electrical connection having oneor more wires, a portable computer diskette (magnetic, compact flashcard, secure digital, or the like), a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory(EPROM, EEPROM, or Flash memory), an optical fiber, and a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CDROM). Note that the computer-readablemedium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which theprogram associated with logic and/or information is printed, as theprogram can be electronically captured, via for instance opticalscanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted orotherwise processed in a suitable manner if necessary, and then storedin memory.

In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that certainmechanisms of taught herein are capable of being distributed as aprogram product in a variety of forms, and that an illustrativeembodiment applies equally regardless of the particular type of signalbearing media used to actually carry out the distribution. Examples ofsignal bearing media include, but are not limited to, the following:recordable type media such as floppy disks, hard disk drives, CD ROMs,digital tape, and computer memory; and transmission type media such asdigital and analog communication links using TDM or IP basedcommunication links (e.g., packet links).

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From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specificembodiments have been described herein for purposes of illustration,various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit andscope of the teachings. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by thedisclosed embodiments.

1. A method of operating a vending kiosk, the vending kiosk including atleast one cooking unit; a plurality of vending compartments, each of thevending compartments having a respective interior; a plurality ofcustomer-facing doors, each of the customer-facing doors movable betweena first position which prevents access to the interior of a respectiveone of the vending compartments from an exterior of the vending kioskand a second position which allows access to the interior of therespective one of the vending compartments from the exterior of thevending kiosk; a plurality of service doors, each of the service doorsmovable between a first position which prevents access to the cookingunit from the interior of a respective one of the vending compartmentsand a second position which allows access to the cooking unit from theinterior of the respective one of the vending compartments; a firstplurality of latches operable to alternatively latch and unlatchrespective ones of the customer-facing door; a second plurality oflatches operable to alternatively latch and unlatch respective ones ofthe service doors; and at least one processor-based control system,communicatively coupled to control the latches of the first plurality oflatches and the second plurality of latches, the method comprising: foreach of the vending compartments, determining a condition or state ofthe service door of the respective vending compartment; and unlatchingthe customer-facing door of the respective vending compartment only ifthe condition or state of the service door of the respective vendingcompartment is at least one of latched or closed.
 2. The method of claim1, further comprising: for each of the vending compartments, unlatchingthe customer-facing door of the respective vending compartment only ifthe respective vending compartment contains an item.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: for each of the vending compartments,unlatching the customer-facing door of the respective vendingcompartment only if a customer or a transaction has been recognized. 4.The method of claim 1, further comprising: for each of the vendingcompartments, unlatching the customer-facing door of the respectivevending compartment only if an input code is verified.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: for each of the vending compartments,unlatching the customer-facing door of the respective vendingcompartment only if detected biometric data has been verified.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: for each of the vendingcompartments, unlatching the customer-facing door of the respectivevending compartment only if a pairing with an electronic device orrecognition thereof occurs.
 7. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: for each of the vending compartments, unlatching thecustomer-facing door of the respective vending compartment only if therespective compartment is at or below a defined temperature that issufficiently cool for the customer to handle such without causing bodilyharm.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: for each of thevending compartments, unlatching the customer-facing door of therespective vending compartment only if a food item in the respectivecompartment is at or below a defined temperature that is sufficientlycool for the customer to handle such without causing bodily harm.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: for each of the vendingcompartments, unlatching the customer-facing door of the respectivevending compartment only if all of the interior surfaces of therespective compartment is at or below a defined temperature that issufficiently cool for the customer to handle such without causing bodilyharm.
 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: for each of thevending compartments, unlatching the customer-facing door of therespective vending compartment only if there is a sufficient clearancefor the customer-facing door to open.